holy

adjective

ho·​ly ˈhō-lē 

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)

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 

adverb

Synonyms of holy

• pious
• religious
• devout
• reverent
• spiritual

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

The issue is particularly pronounced in Jerusalem’s Old City, a densely populated area with narrow alleyways of ancient stones, which houses holy sites for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. —Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026

Ashwagandha, reishi, turmeric and holy basil now appear in serums, masks and moisturizers for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. —Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026

It’s formulated with a blend of chaga, lion’s mane, cordyceps and reishi mushrooms, plus adaptogens lemon balm, passion flower, L-theanine, mucuna pruriens, ashwagandha, holy basil, magnolia bark and wild jujube. —Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026

There's an alfresco dinner in Thimphu, where the meal is prepared over an open flame beside a forest stream, or a log cabin lunch at the base of Tiger's Nest, reserved for guests returning from the hike to Bhutan's holiest monastery. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026

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

Phrases Containing holy

• give (someone) holy hell
• holy city
• holy cow
• holy day
• holy day of obligation
• holy grail
• holy mackerel
• holy matrimony
• holy moly
• holy of holies
• holy oil
• holy order
• holy smoke
• holy terror
• holy trinity
• holy war
• holy water
• holy writ
• the bonds of holy matrimony
• the holy of holies

Rhymes for holy

• coaly
• coli
• foley
• folie
• goalie
• lowly
• moly
• slowly
• tolly
• wholly
• acholi
• emboli

Kids Definition

holy

adjective

ho·​ly ˈhō-lē 

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