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.

Millions of people are celebrating Holi, the festival of colours, in India and across the world.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

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

From Salon • May 26, 2025

As part of the festivities, bonfires are lit the evening before Holi in the belief that they will destroy the bad so that good can triumph.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2024

On the day of Holi, entire streets and towns are filled with people who throw colored powder in the air.

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