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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of holy
One of the holy grails the Space Force is pursuing is the capability to launch on demand.
—
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
Is there a better month to have Disney+ than May, the Star Wars fandom’s holy month?
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
Over these last weeks, however, I have been nudged into a repentant apology by his profound take on our political crisis and a sincere and accurate Christian analysis of the problems and deliberate practical steps the individual Christian citizen can take during this holy season.
—Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
Convery’s character, Peter Blanes, is a freshman in high school, and if that isn’t hard enough, people now believe his older brother Jimmy is a holy saint.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
Is there a better month to have Disney+ than May, the Star Wars fandom’s holy month?
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
Over these last weeks, however, I have been nudged into a repentant apology by his profound take on our political crisis and a sincere and accurate Christian analysis of the problems and deliberate practical steps the individual Christian citizen can take during this holy season.
—Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
Convery’s character, Peter Blanes, is a freshman in high school, and if that isn’t hard enough, people now believe his older brother Jimmy is a holy saint.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
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Each letter comes across as a set piece, a small achievement of style and tone: Vasari’s flowery, deferential missives to the duke, Maria’s youthful ardor and confusion, the overly pious cattiness of a nun.—
Chelsea Leu,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
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For pious viewers who may traditionally shy away from the horror genre, The Bondsman may surprise with some very tender and spiritual moments.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Because what matters, what makes Caravaggio so much more than an illustrator, is less the realism of the sacred image than its translation — through the bodies and faces of ordinary people — from the time of the Gospels to now.—
Jason Farago,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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Across history, grief has long been honored as a sacred rite of passage.—
Devi Brown,
Time,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Manufacturers want to divine where to build their next factory.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 2025
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Maybe some divine intervention can help Pederson and Marsh get off the schneid.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Francis urged political leaders to guard against religious extremism and warned Catholics not to force their faith on others during a 2024 visit to Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Ryan Burge, a leading researcher on American religious trends, told McClatchy News the approval rating among non-Catholics — specifically the religiously unaffiliated — is notable.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Finally, end the meal with a heavenly dessert of miniature Key lime pies.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
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Preacher Boy shows off his heavenly voice and affinity for jazz music, but his father, an actual preacher, rebukes the genre as the devil’s music, like most good Christians did back then.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
Refinery29,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And hey, even the most devout among us can't argue with that.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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The Kremlin and its far-right proxies now paint Ivan as a great statesman and devout Russian Orthodox Christian who laid the foundations of the Russian Empire.—
Dina Khapaeva,
The Conversation,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Noem's most recent X post on Sunday included a family photo and wishes for a blessed Easter.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
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Martin also felt blessed to have met past popes, including Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI before his election.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The learning process for me over the course of the first two years was to not be as reverent of the original.—
Rick Porter,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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The Sundance online platform has allowed for a more democratic festival experience (feature film tickets cost $35) when stacked against its peer events, which are reverent to theaters only and in less accessible locations.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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