holy

holy

adjective

Definition of HOLY

1

showing a devotion to God and to a life of virtue <the holy monk spent many hours on his knees in prayer>

Synonyms devout, godly, pious, religious, sainted, saintly

Related Words ascetic (also ascetical), prayerful, reverent, reverential, spiritual, worshipful; pietistic, religiose; beatified, blessed (also blest), canonized, venerable; angelic (or angelical), cherubic; chaste, moral, pure, righteous, upright, virtuous

Near Antonyms blasphemous, desecrating, irreverent, profanatory, profane, sacrilegious; nonreligious, secular, unspiritual, worldly; backsliding, unfaithful; black, evil, immoral, iniquitous, miscreant, sinful, sinning, unrighteous, wicked

Antonyms antireligious, faithless, godless, impious, irreligious, ungodly, unholy

2

set apart or worthy of veneration by association with God <the Torah contains the holy writings of Judaism>

Synonyms blessed (also blest), consecrate, consecrated, hallowed, sacral, sacred, sacrosanct, sanctified

Related Words adored, enshrined, glorified, revered, venerated, worshipped (also worshiped); ceremonial, liturgical, priestly, religious, ritual, sacramental, spiritual; biblical, scriptural

Near Antonyms nonreligious, unspiritual; earthly, mundane, profane, secular, temporal, worldly

Antonyms deconsecrated, desacralized, unconsecrated, unhallowed

3

of, relating to, or being God <the Holy Trinity>

Synonyms blessed (also blest), divine, godlike, godly, heavenly, sacred, supernatural

Related Words eternal, everlasting, immortal; all-powerful, almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, supreme

Near Antonyms human, mortal, natural

4

not to be violated, criticized, or tampered with <the hour every Saturday she listens to her radio program is holy and you'd better not make her miss it>

Synonyms hallowed, holy, inviolable, sacrosanct, unassailable, untouchable

Related Words inviolate, pure; privileged, protected, secure, shielded; exempt, immune

Near Antonyms blasphemous, irreverent, profane, sacrilegious