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Showing results for saintly. Search instead for Unsaintly.
Synonyms

saintly

American  
[seynt-lee] / ˈseɪnt li /

adjective

saintlier, saintliest

  1. pertaining to, like, or befitting a saint.

    saintly lives.
saintly British  
/ ˈseɪntlɪ /

adjective

  1. like, relating to, or suitable for a saint

"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

Other Word Forms

  • hypersaintly adjective
  • quasi-saintly adjective
  • saintlily adverb
  • saintliness noun
  • supersaintly adjective
  • unsaintly adjective

Etymology

Origin of saintly

First recorded in 1650–60; saint + -ly

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.

“The way her hijab haloed Nour’s head” gives her a saintly presence, “or so Jimmy thought.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

This disciplined capital allocation — returning all free cash flow to shareholders via dividends and buybacks — makes it practically saintly.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

Similarly, after Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, the “Notorious RBG” meme ecosystem instantly expanded to include digital portraits and merchandise that cast her as a saintly defender of justice.

From Salon • Sep. 27, 2025

That is a category reserved for martyrs, those deemed to have lived a life of heroic values and candidates who the Church declares to have a saintly reputation.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2025

Like they were all saintly now or something.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.