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
As far as cures, treatments range from religious actions—prayers over bleeding wounds, holy wells, and sacred stones—to more magical methods.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2025
Saudi Arabia holds a unique place in the Arab and Islamic worlds as the birthplace of Islam and custodian of its two holiest cities—Mecca and Medina (the third holiest is Jerusalem, Israel, the same location as Judaism’s holiest site).
—Jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
The object is believed to have gone missing Friday night or Saturday morning after stirring up controversy for being part of a collection of holy figures created by artist Victoria-Maria Geyer to have no eyes, noses or mouths.
—Brian Niemietz, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025
After recapturing Jerusalem’s holy temple, which had been defiled by the occupiers, the Maccabees searched for pure oil to light the menorah.
—Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
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Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2025
Saudi Arabia holds a unique place in the Arab and Islamic worlds as the birthplace of Islam and custodian of its two holiest cities—Mecca and Medina (the third holiest is Jerusalem, Israel, the same location as Judaism’s holiest site).
—Jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
The object is believed to have gone missing Friday night or Saturday morning after stirring up controversy for being part of a collection of holy figures created by artist Victoria-Maria Geyer to have no eyes, noses or mouths.
—Brian Niemietz, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025
After recapturing Jerusalem’s holy temple, which had been defiled by the occupiers, the Maccabees searched for pure oil to light the menorah.
—Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Dec. 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 8 Dec. 2025.
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