Holy Willie

/ ˈwɪlɪ /

noun

1. a person who is hypocritically pious

Word History and Origins

Origin of Holy Willie¹

C18: from Burns' Holy Willie's Prayer

Example Sentences

Or if he'd never written anything but "Holy Willie's Prayer".

Read more on The Guardian

When Hamilton was persecuted by the kirk, Burns, partly out of sympathy with him, wrote the satires, "Holy Willie's Prayer," "The Twa Herds," and "The Holy Fair," which served to unite the friends more closely, and brought the poet often to the house where Mary was an inmate.

Read more on Project Gutenberg

From the cottage of "Bonnie Jean" and the tomb of "Holy Willie," the field of the "Mountain Daisy" and the church of the "Holy Fair," the birthplace of "Highland Mary" and the grave of "Mary Morison," we came to the shrines of auld Ayr, beside the sea.

Read more on Project Gutenberg

He wrote the "Prayer of Holy Willie."

Read more on Project Gutenberg

One who had the genius to write Holy Willie's Prayer—a poem that crucified Calvinism and through its bloodless heart thrust the spear of common sense—a poem that made every orthodox creed the food of scorn—of inextinguishable laughter.

Read more on Project Gutenberg