unholy
Americanadjective
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not holy; not sacred or hallowed.
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impious; sinful; wicked.
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Informal. dreadful; ungodly.
They got us out of bed at the unholy hour of three in the morning.
adjective
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not holy or sacred
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immoral or depraved
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informal outrageous or unnatural
an unholy alliance
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of unholy
before 1000; Middle English; Old English unhālig (cognate with Dutch onheilig, Old Norse ūheilagr ). See un- 1, holy
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.
Formed in England in 1968, Deep Purple became known as one of the "unholy trinity" of British heavy metal bands, alongside Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
The so-called "unholy alliance" - a play on the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity - is made up of Museveni, Kainerugaba, and the president's powerful brother and special adviser, Salim Saleh.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
A God’s-eye view captures sparks and flames tearing a circle around his unholy play.
From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026
Eschewing mobs of pitchfork-wielding villagers, Del Toro focuses on Victor’s inability to parent his unholy son.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025
And I’m telling you, it has an unholy boil festering within it.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
