holy

adjective

ho·​ly ˈhō-lē How to pronounce holy (audio)
holier; holiest
Synonyms of holy
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)
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 oath
holy smoke
holily
ˈhō-lə-lē How to pronounce holy (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of holy

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close defense ties for decades, in part because of Islamabad’s longstanding commitment to help defend Islam’s holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, in the kingdom. — Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026 Atsushi Matono is responsible for erecting the shingi, a sacred tree placed at the top of one of the floats —the holiest part of the structure, to which a deity is believed to descend. — ABC News, 19 July 2026 The birds, unconstrained by politics and religion, are a ubiquitous site in the Old City that hosts holy sites for the world's three largest monotheistic religions. — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 19 July 2026 Alongside Laura Dern as paleobotanist Ellie Sattler and Jeff Goldblum as mathematician Ian Malcolm, Neill completed the holy trinity of protagonists in Steven Spielberg’s enduring blockbuster dinosaur adventure. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for holy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English hālig; akin to Old English hāl whole — more at whole

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of holy was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing holy

Rhymes for holy

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Browse Nearby Words

holus-bolus
holy
holy ark
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holy. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

holy

adjective
ho·​ly ˈhō-lē How to pronounce holy (audio)
holier; holiest
1
: worthy of complete devotion and trust
2
: divine
3
: set apart to the service of God or a god : sacred
4
: respected as sacred
5
: complete, utter
he is a holy terror
—used in combination as a mild oath
holy cow

More from Merriam-Webster on holy

Nglish: Translation of holy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about holy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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