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

plural

holies

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

Example Sentences

Some said the move coincided with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, though others cited stability.

From The Wall Street Journal

The financial world is full of people and firms claiming that they have the secret, the magic key, the holy grail, that will enable you to beat the market.

From The Wall Street Journal

She placed the holy book under her pillow perhaps for protection.

From Literature

There’s no reason to be holy about this.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the last year Pierce has been deposed from holy orders and he is no longer a priest.

From BBC

Related Words

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