hallowed

adjective

hal·​lowed ˈha-(ˌ)lōd 

ˈha-ləd

in the Lord's Prayer often ˈha-lə-wəd

1

: holy, consecrated

the church stands on hallowed ground

2

: sacred, revered

the university's hallowed halls

hallowed customs

Did you know?

Hallowed Has Old English Roots

The adjective hallowed, meaning "holy" or "revered," isn’t especially spooky, but its history is entwined with that of a certain spooky season. Hallowed is the past participle of the verb hallow, a term that descends from the Middle English word halowen. That word can be traced back to the Old English adjective hālig, meaning "holy." During the Middle Ages, All Hallows' Day was the name for what Christians now call All Saints' Day (hallow was once used also as a noun referring to a saint), and the evening that preceded All Hallows' Day was All Hallows' Eve or All Hallow Even—or, as we know it today, Halloween. (Although pumpkins are often hollowed out on Halloween, hollow has a different Old English root.)

Synonyms of hallowed

• venerable
• venerated
• revered
• sacred

Examples of hallowed in a Sentence

The church stands on hallowed ground.

the college's hallowed tradition of ringing the chapel bell one hundred times before commencement ceremonies

Recent Examples on the Web

Two years later, Rosewood purchased it, with a vision of softening its hallowed halls and extraordinary architecture into something a little less severe. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

The original 2006 flick was based on the roman à clef by Lauren Weisberger, who was traumatized by notoriously prickly Vogue editor Anna Wintour at the hallowed Condé Nast offices in the late ‘90s. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026

French authorities have grown increasingly vocal in their opposition of Ye taking the stage at the hallowed venue, with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirming that a June concert in Marseille is under review. —Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2026

The Mayday resistance movement — and the shadow of June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) — is alive and well again within the hallowed halls of power in the Republic of Gilead. —Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see hallow

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for hallowed

• unhallowed

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!