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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.

With saintly calm, the too-good-for-him Dr. Barrett packs her things and returns to her peaceful castle.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

When the rapping resumes, the man goes to the window to admit “a stately Raven / of the saintly days of yore.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

Or as close to saintly as anything involving tar sands can get.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 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

Nailer waited, hoping for some mention of the saintly Captain Sung.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

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.