unholy

adjective

un·​ho·​ly ˌən-ˈhō-lē 

1

: showing disregard for what is holy : wicked

2

: deserving of censure

an unholy alliance between politicians and lobbyists

3

: very unpleasant : god-awful

an unholy mess

unholiness noun

Examples of unholy in a Sentence

Our finances were an unholy mess.

They have spent an unholy amount of money on the project.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some unholy mix of all of that? — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026

What’s contained inside that folder is an unholy mess of files, none of which is structured or organized in any logical form. — Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 3 Mar. 2026

To get this far, the architects navigated an unholy gauntlet of constraints. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026

The song evokes the chaos, tragedy, and soul of the Stewart clan like nothing else, the performance an unholy hybrid of rock, country, bluegrass, blues, and even psychedelia. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for unholy

• acholi
• emboli
• sertoli
• benzimidazole
• dipyridamole
• itraconazole
• ketoconazole
• metronidazole
• sulfathiazole
• thiabendazole
• carbazole
• gladioli

Kids Definition

unholy

adjective

un·​ho·​ly ˌən-ˈhō-lē 

ˈən-

: not holy : profane, wicked

unholiness noun