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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of holy
Tender, fresh okra and holy trinity pepper, onions, and celery add a lovely contrast of texture while contributing pops of color.
—
Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
In one thirteenth-century version of the story, a holy man sees the demon in church, dragging a huge sack.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
The King and Queen earlier met the new pontiff for the first time since his May election on Thursday morning, following their arrival in Rome the previous evening to celebrate the holy Jubilee year, which takes place every quarter of a century.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The not-quite-musical (the Shakers were known for their frenzied singing) and not-quite-biopic was recently acquired by Searchlight, with a suitably holy Christmas Day release planned.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
In one thirteenth-century version of the story, a holy man sees the demon in church, dragging a huge sack.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
The King and Queen earlier met the new pontiff for the first time since his May election on Thursday morning, following their arrival in Rome the previous evening to celebrate the holy Jubilee year, which takes place every quarter of a century.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The not-quite-musical (the Shakers were known for their frenzied singing) and not-quite-biopic was recently acquired by Searchlight, with a suitably holy Christmas Day release planned.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
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All of this is impressive enough, but there are tales that the bible was written in a single night by none other than the Dark Lord himself, not a pious scribe.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Dec. 2025
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The suspects may seem pious, but which of them committed the ultimate sin of murder?—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
13 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The Aboriginal Dingaal people had been using the island as a sacred ceremonial site for about 6,000 years.—
Susan Casey,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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From Kazakhstan to Utah to Australia Tracey takes us on a journey in search of these semi-sacred places, meeting along the way countless people dedicated to preserving them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The shoes come in a ton of hues, including the above silver, plus a divine cherry red and ballet-slipper-pink mesh.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
6 Jan. 2026
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Their journey and gifts thus represent the homage of all nations and races to the divine revelation in Bethlehem, uniting in a single act of recognition of Jesus as King (gold), God (frankincense), and Savior (myrrh).—
Nadia Cantú,
AZCentral.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Here’s everything to know about her mental health history and the religious influence that allegedly distorted her beliefs.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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At a massive commemoration marking the anniversary of the Eaton fire this week, local religious leaders read the names of the 19 people who died in the blaze.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Grace was an acolyte at Lord's Chapel, wise in the ways of liturgical response.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Dec. 2025
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Since his election earlier this year, the Pope himself has worn several statement-making liturgical looks, returning to a more traditional, flamboyant, and opulent style following the late Pope Francis’s more austere choices.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
30 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Sold to Menemsha, studied in its craft, genuinely tense and gorgeously shot, highlighting the heavenly mountains and a historical hell.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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The motions of the stars also exhibited a similar 24 hour period, as though the heavenly canopy rotated throughout the night.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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She was described as a happy, devout child who loved reading.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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And nearly all socialists, like most other Oklahomans, were devout Christians.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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And while the win over West Ham was both vital and a blessed relief, even that was not an entirely convincing performance.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
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Escaping the cold came in blessed two-week bursts—the Caribbean, Hawaii, even back home to Arizona once or twice.—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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