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
The Temple Mount movement — a loose coalition of Israeli religious and nationalist organizations — harbors a potentially explosive mix of prophecy and politics that aims to upend some 1,300 years of Muslim control over the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest one for Jews.
—
Gabe Joselow,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
For example, the Life of Saint Æthelwold is a tenth-century biography that narrates the holy life of an English bishop.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
This is a group with its own attitudes and music and holy texts and dark-academic styles of dressing.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
The backstory Born holy to an order of Franciscan nuns, this 15th-century building settled into private hands before its 1993 reincarnation as Four Seasons’ first continental European outpost.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Gabe Joselow,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
For example, the Life of Saint Æthelwold is a tenth-century biography that narrates the holy life of an English bishop.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
This is a group with its own attitudes and music and holy texts and dark-academic styles of dressing.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
The backstory Born holy to an order of Franciscan nuns, this 15th-century building settled into private hands before its 1993 reincarnation as Four Seasons’ first continental European outpost.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
-
Others regard the unum as a pious myth.
-
However, this distinction did more than pit pious Americans against an atheist enemy.
Adjective
-
His larger diagnosis is that the division machine has made every disagreement existential — and that once a political difference becomes sacred, people will rationalize almost anything to defeat the other side.
-
But over time, and as reverence for the Revolutionary War generation grew, the political parties sought to prove themselves the truest guardians of the founding principles, transforming it from an argument for independence into a sacred document.
Adjective
-
For virtually all of human history, people were subjects of kings or rulers who claimed divine and unquestioned power.
-
The labor of these aging world-builders becomes a blueprint to navigate memory, legacy, and mortality, revealing the divine spirit residing in their daily lives.
Adjective
-
Americans are more likely than not to favor religious expression in public schools, though most agree participation should be voluntary, a national survey has found.
-
That they are entitled to not wear the uniforms, that they’re entitled to express their religious beliefs.
Adjective
-
The Vatican authorized Esperanto for liturgical use decades ago, and Radio Vaticana still publishes news and papal updates in Esperanto online three times a week.
-
Leo presided over the service sitting off to the side of the altar on a white throne, wearing his formal red cape and liturgical stole and praying with a Rosary in his hands.
Adjective
-
By the end of the movie, even something as natural as daylight has become suffused with a heavenly glow, and the beads of sweat on a dying body sparkle with a beauty that Emily had never been able to find anywhere else in her tragedy of a life.
-
Don't forget your in-flight comfort — this heavenly memory foam travel pillow is discounted to just $10.
Adjective
-
For a devout convert to Catholicism, Vance has a bumpy history with the Vatican.
-
Fearing a loss of their significant clout and influence, devout Protestants revived the earlier campaign to write their faith commitments into the Constitution.
Adjective
-
That lesson came back to me recently during the 33rd yahrzeit of my mother, Charlotte (Lazar) Gildin, of blessed memory.
-
Don’t miss the blessed selection of vermouth and sherry.
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
