holy

[hoh-lee]

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. )

noun

plural

holies 

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

holy

/ 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

noun

1. 1. a sacred place

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of holy¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of holy¹

Old English hālig, hǣlig; related to Old Saxon hēlag, Gothic hailags, German heilig; see _hallow

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

One holy place is known for aiding in a more earthly endeavor: securing a visa to go overseas.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Last week, a man attacked people outside a synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, near the northern city of Manchester.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The attack, which happened on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, was the highest-profile antisemitic incident to hit the U.K. since the start of the war in Gaza.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Baseball’s holy grail is this: One place to watch your team, and every team, wherever you are.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Mr Cravitz died after an attacker rammed a car into and stabbed worshippers gathering for a service to mark Yom Kippur – the holiest day of the Jewish calendar – at Heaton Park Synagogue.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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