holier; holiest
1
: exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness
2
: divine
for the Lord our God is holy—
Psalms 99:9 (King James Version)
Psalms 99:9 (King James Version)3
: devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity
a holy temple
holy prophets
4
a
: having a divine quality
holy love
b
: venerated as or as if sacred
holy scripture
a holy relic
5
—used as an intensive
this is a holy mess
he was a holy terror when he drank—Thomas Wolfe
—often used in combination as a mild oathThomas Wolfeholy smoke
Examples of holy in a Sentence
a holy relic worn by one of the saints
the holy monk spent many hours on his knees in prayer
Recent Examples on the Web
Tender, fresh okra and holy trinity pepper, onions, and celery add a lovely contrast of texture while contributing pops of color.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
In one thirteenth-century version of the story, a holy man sees the demon in church, dragging a huge sack.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
The Saudi government has poured massive investment into redeveloping the area around holy site following a series of deadly stampedes and a crane accident that killed more than a hundred people in 2015.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
The King and Queen earlier met the new pontiff for the first time since his May election on Thursday morning, following their arrival in Rome the previous evening to celebrate the holy Jubilee year, which takes place every quarter of a century.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
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Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
In one thirteenth-century version of the story, a holy man sees the demon in church, dragging a huge sack.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
The Saudi government has poured massive investment into redeveloping the area around holy site following a series of deadly stampedes and a crane accident that killed more than a hundred people in 2015.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
The King and Queen earlier met the new pontiff for the first time since his May election on Thursday morning, following their arrival in Rome the previous evening to celebrate the holy Jubilee year, which takes place every quarter of a century.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holy. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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