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

"As a result, Israel has temporarily asked worshippers from all faiths not to worship at the holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City to protect them."

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

How did an obscure startup in Finland beat Toyota, Stellantis and the entire nation of China to the holy grail of energy storage?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

This year Nowruz should have been even more special, since it coincides with Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

New Street Research’s Pierre Ferragu, who has long been a fan of Musk and Tesla, called the Terafab “a holy grail” that combines various semiconductor-manufacturing advancements made over the last 12 years.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

I climb through, and holy moly this place is holy.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

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