1
as in pious
showing a devotion to God and to a life of virtue
the holy monk spent many hours on his knees in prayer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sacred
set apart or worthy of veneration by association with God
the Torah contains the holy writings of Judaism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in divine
of, relating to, or being God
the Holy Trinity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in pure
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of holy
Pomegranate seeds, which are meant to represent the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, which are cited in the Jewish holy book, the Torah.
—
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Pomegranate seeds also represent the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, that are cited in the Torah, the Jewish holy book.
—Victoria E. Freile, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025
The final mix includes botanicals, minerals, and vitamins such as holy basil for stress response, curcumin to promote a healthy immune response, konjac root to address oil production, and probiotics to optimize the microbiome.
—Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Pomegranate seeds also represent the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, that are cited in the Torah, the Jewish holy book.
—Victoria E. Freile, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025
The final mix includes botanicals, minerals, and vitamins such as holy basil for stress response, curcumin to promote a healthy immune response, konjac root to address oil production, and probiotics to optimize the microbiome.
—Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
-
The mobius-thinking at times almost seems like Medieval Zen, what with the emphasis on emptiness and silent meditation, and in fact that was what the Church fathers objected to most: too much quiet, solitary contemplation, not enough pious instruction.—
Jon Raymond
August 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
-
This may well sound like something that would’ve been played as a pious Christian allegory in another era.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In 1908, the university’s first female student discovers, through the lens of photography, sacred patterns of the universe hidden within the humblest of plants.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Indigenous cultures in the region placed high value in cacao as a sacred crop, exchanged as a form of currency and made into a frothy, warm bitter beverage drank at key events in social and religious life, Chocolate Affairs Magazine said.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Pope was Polish, so maybe there was a bit of divine intervention with how Dudek performed.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The timing of this movie feels divine.—
Matthew Jacobs,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The fire ignited first on the property of the Twelve Tribes religious cult, which has a compound on Eldorado Drive, near the Marshall Mesa Open Space.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Mandato cited writings of several founding fathers, including John Adams, Daniel Webster and John Witherspoon, who argued the country's constitutional system cannot endure without a moral and religious population, and Christian principals are conducive to good citizenship.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Though egg salad is simple on principle, there are still decidedly good ones, bad ones, and heavenly ones.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
-
When it was released back in 2020, Ghost of Tsushima struck a chord with players with its razor-sharp samurai gameplay and heavenly aesthetics.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
After all, Stabler was married with 300 children, and a devout Catholic to boot.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Rounding out the mourning quartet is their sister Anne (Emily Fairn), physically sickly, emotionally brittle and unequivocally devout.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His gentle manner and welcoming smile will long remain a blessed image for all those who love liberty.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
My life is incredibly blessed with a loving wife, amazing kids and grandkids.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The atmosphere is reverent and energized, with attendees standing in collective praise hours before the formal program begins.—
Amanda Castro
Mandy Taheri
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
-
In a groundbreaking and reverent moment for both music and culture, Clipse—the legendary hip-hop duo comprised of Pusha T and No Malice—became the first hip-hop artists in history to perform at The Vatican.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share