Holi

American

[hoh-lee] / ˈhoʊ li /

noun

the Hindu spring festival.

Holi British

/ ˈhɒˌliː /

noun

a Hindu spring festival, celebrated for two to five days, commemorating Krishna's dalliance with the cowgirls. Bonfires are lit and coloured powder and water thrown over celebrants

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What is Holi? Holi is a two-day Hindu spring festival that’s primarily celebrated in India. It’s especially known for festive street celebrations in which people cover each other with colored powder. Holi is pronounced the same as the word holy. It’s sometimes known as the Festival of Colors.

Etymology

Origin of Holi

1905–10; < Hindi holī < Prakrit holiyā < Skt holikā

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If Holi marks the end of winter, this match is a chance for both Buttler and England to ensure Thursday night is not the end of something bigger too.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Some are made for celebration, like Holi or Thanksgiving, with full plates and full hearts.

From Salon • May 26, 2025

As it's one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India, millions of people travel to their hometowns and villages in the days leading up to Holi.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2024

Holi is celebrated at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, on the last full moon day of the Hindu luni-solar calendar month of Falgun.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2024

At Holi a special red powder mixed with cow’s dung and urine is thrown at everyone.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023