holy

American  

[hoh-lee] / ˈhoʊ li /

adjective

holier, holiest

1. specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated.

   holy ground.

   Synonyms:

   blessed

2. dedicated or devoted to the service of God, the church, or religion.

   a holy man.

3. saintly; godly; pious; devout.

   a holy life.

   Antonyms:

   impious, corrupt

4. having a spiritually pure quality.

   a holy love.

   Synonyms:

   spiritual

   Antonyms:

   impious, corrupt

5. entitled to worship or veneration as or as if sacred.

   a holy relic.

6. religious.

   holy rites.

7. inspiring fear, awe, or grave distress.

   The director, when angry, is a holy terror.

8. (used in certain interjections to express surprise, bewilderment, or wonder, as in holy cow andholy smoke. )

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noun

holies plural

1. a place of worship; sacred place; sanctuary.

holy British  

/ ˈhəʊlɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or associated with God or a deity; sacred

2. endowed or invested with extreme purity or sublimity

3. devout, godly, or virtuous

4. offensively sanctimonious or self-righteous

   a holier-than-thou attitude

5. 1. a difficult or frightening person

   2. informal a person who is an active gambler, womanizer, etc

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noun

1. 1. a sacred place

   2. (functioning as plural) persons or things invested with holiness

Related Words

Holy, sacred, consecrated, hallowed imply possession of a sanctity that is the object of religious veneration. Holy refers to the divine, that which has its sanctity directly from God or is connected with Him: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Something that is sacred, while sometimes accepted as entitled to religious veneration, may have its sanctity from human authority: a sacred oath. Something that is consecrated is specially or formally dedicated to some religious use: a life consecrated to service. Something that is hallowed has been made holy by being worshiped: a hallowed shrine.

Etymology

Origin of holy

First recorded before 900; Middle English holi, Old English hālig, variant of hāleg, equivalent to hāl whole + -eg -y ¹; cognate with Dutch, German heilig, Old Norse heilagr

Explanation

Something that is sacred can be described as holy, like the Holy Bible. So can anything associated with God, like a holy day that is observed by attending worship ceremonies. The adjective holy comes from the Old English word hālig and is related to the German word heilig, meaning “blessed.” There is a relationship between holy and whole, and the religious sense probably developed from keeping believers spiritually whole — and pure. A place, object, or person who has been blessed can be described as holy, meaning "associated with God."

Example Sentences

He will be joined not only by officials from the Holy See but experts including the co-founder of the American startup Anthropic, a key player in the booming AI landscape.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

While Francis visited France three times as pope -- to Strasbourg, Marseille and the island of Corsica -- those trips were not official state visits by the Holy See.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

This Easter, nearly 90 people took the Holy Communion to formally join the Catholic Church at St. Joe’s, more than double last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

The three holes also resembled the Holy Trinity, representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

“Horned toads are usually messengers for the Holy Beings,” the water monster said.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• divine
• hallowed
• humble
• pure
• revered
• righteous
• spiritual
• sublime