GODLY Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

godly

adjective

ˈgäd-lē

Definition of godly

as in pious

showing a devotion to God and to a life of virtue a godly and humble man who will be richly rewarded in the next world

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in divine

of, relating to, or being God a godly voice from the heavens commanded him to build an ark

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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 godly Dozens of boys say they were abused in a Christian scouting program that vowed to raise godly men. — Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 22 May 2026 But this new condominium features more than a godly cityscape. — Michael Gross, Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026 Baruch Spinoza argued for a singular godly substance of which everything in existence is an attribute. — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026 Trump’s version of Christianity instead preaches no mercy for those against him, demands followers exalt him above everything, celebrates the gaudy instead of the godly. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for godly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for godly

Adjective

Adenauer, De Gasperi, and Schuman were all devout Catholics, and Monnet, though not a religious man, was born into a pious Catholic family.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Philemon and Baucis, a pious Phrygian couple, hospitably received the disguised Zeus and Hermes after their richer neighbors had refused to do so.

— Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 July 2026

Definition of pious

Adjective

There is also persistent friction between Arab and Kurdish communities in the northeast of the country, and the government has had to respond to pockets of violence against the religious Alawite minority along Syria’s coast.

— Paula Hancocks, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Luk grew up without religion, but many childhood friends were religious and invited her to churches and youth groups.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of religious

Adjective

Especially when, during a timeless, holy ritual, your daughter starts rocking out in front of the congregation.

— Risa Polansky Shiman, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Far-right extremists are even encouraging Jewish-Arab violence atop the Temple Mount, the most sacred site in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam, which could ignite anti-Israel religious violence and terrorism in the region.

— Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of holy

Adjective

Ghalib was a devout Muslim yet drank wine despite Islam’s prohibition on alcohol.

— Aishwarya Lakshmi, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026
Adenauer, De Gasperi, and Schuman were all devout Catholics, and Monnet, though not a religious man, was born into a pious Catholic family.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of devout

Adjective

Hathaway topped off her heavenly look with an effortlessly wavy up-do and an ethereal blush-nude makeup look.

— Morgan Evans, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
To map out these heavenly realms takes a certain amount of ego and pollyannaism otherwise absent from Reilly’s worldview.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026

Definition of heavenly

Adjective

The story seems a spiritual festival on the German-Polish border become an ensemble dramedy about healing and reinvention.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
But Watts, who is well-versed in gnosticism — an esoteric, religious philosophy that places emphasis on the spiritual realm and obtaining wisdom about oneself — seemed to have had a profound impact on McCollough’s worldview.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of spiritual

Adjective

The sacred wind instrument — which is created from a eucalyptus tree trunk or branch naturally hollowed out by termites — was developed a thousand years ago by the Aboriginal community in northern Australia and is often used in cultural ceremonies.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Far-right extremists are even encouraging Jewish-Arab violence atop the Temple Mount, the most sacred site in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam, which could ignite anti-Israel religious violence and terrorism in the region.

— Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of sacred

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godliness

godly

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“Godly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/godly. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of godly

adjective

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