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
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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
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3
as in divine
of, relating to, or being God
the Holy Trinity
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of holy
Outrage over Patriarch War and religion clashed yesterday as police prevented the Catholic Church's highest official in Jerusalem from entering one of the religion's holiest sites.
—
Npr Staff, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
The two bodies established diplomatic ties in 1993 but have periodically faced tensions over access to holy sites and the treatment of Christian communities.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
Jerusalem's major holy sites, including the church, are closed because of the ongoing Iran war, as the city has come under frequent fire from Iranian missiles.
—Arkansas Online, 30 Mar. 2026
Israeli authorities have maintained that restrictions across Jerusalem’s holy sites—including the Western Wall, Al‑Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—were imposed solely to protect civilians as Iranian missile fire continues to target the city.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Npr Staff, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
The two bodies established diplomatic ties in 1993 but have periodically faced tensions over access to holy sites and the treatment of Christian communities.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
Jerusalem's major holy sites, including the church, are closed because of the ongoing Iran war, as the city has come under frequent fire from Iranian missiles.
—Arkansas Online, 30 Mar. 2026
Israeli authorities have maintained that restrictions across Jerusalem’s holy sites—including the Western Wall, Al‑Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—were imposed solely to protect civilians as Iranian missile fire continues to target the city.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
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In addition to the pious, persevering Goma and flawed Chandravati in the mortal realm, in the divine realm there are the goddesses Sati and her reincarnation as Parvati.—
Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
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In theory, their story ought to have enough drama to satisfy both pious and secular tastes.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For the birth of WolfVoice's youngest daughter a few years ago, Pipe brought cedar oil, a sacred plant used for prayer, and calmed WolfVoice through her contractions.—
Katheryn Houghton,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
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Beyond the food, there are 3 pools, 36 holes of golf, a tennis and pickleball club, and a cultural program that highlights the history of the sacred land the resort sits on.—
Emily Adler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Such rhetoric echoes in official statements as well — in prayers for destruction, in invocations of divine sanction for war and in casual references to catastrophic violence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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According to polygenism, one of the most important constructions of race in the mid-nineteenth century, each of these distinct races had separate origins, either by divine creation or, in later interpretations shaped by Darwinian thought, by distinct evolutionary paths.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The measure advances Howard County Executive Calvin Ball's Interfaith Action Plan, which analyzed 12 areas in an effort to ensure that all religious communities receive compassion, justice and care.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Many Brazilian religious groups and social activists regularly have criticized betting companies for their role, as gambling in any other form is not legal in Brazil.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The solemn liturgical service included the Lord’s Passion from the Gospel of John.—
Holly Andres,
Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Good Friday commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion with solemn services, ancient liturgical traditions like adoration of the cross, marking a central moment in Christian faith.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The half-industrial, half-heavenly record was recorded on the brink of a real-life meltdown; the substances Lean had rapped about so brazenly during his adolescent mixtape era would nearly claim his life.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
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For countless generations, humanity’s skyward gaze has revealed a heavenly abyss.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Cipriani grew up a choir boy in a working-class section of Philadelphia, the fourth of five children in a devout Italian Catholic family.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
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Amar’e Stoudemire, the American-Israeli basketball star who became a devout convert to Judaism after retiring, is reportedly headed to the hall of fame.—
Jacob Gurvis,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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April is a blessed month for genre fans, because as well as Thrash, Netflix is gifting us with another potentially-awesome-but-likely-terrible film with the survival thriller Apex, which premieres on April 24.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
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Local churches will observe Palm Sunday with blessed palm branches, often woven into crosses, symbolizing peace, victory and eternal life, according to the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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