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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of holy
Yes, there are lots of jokes about the Virgin Mary and holy ghosting.
—
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 May 2025
There is some irony that the lawmakers working on the bill with preliminary votes on both Saturday and Sunday, the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sabbath, violated the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
The march commemorates Jerusalem Day, which marks Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
Below, shop the 13 best ceramide moisturizers recommended by experts, along with holy grail picks from Vogue editors themselves.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 May 2025
There is some irony that the lawmakers working on the bill with preliminary votes on both Saturday and Sunday, the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sabbath, violated the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
The march commemorates Jerusalem Day, which marks Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
Below, shop the 13 best ceramide moisturizers recommended by experts, along with holy grail picks from Vogue editors themselves.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
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The baron and his pious daughter seem at peace with their mutual estrangement until Zsa-zsa suddenly decides to break that habit.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
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But while the main character’s mother in that movie was an antagonistic figure, Fatima’s parents are portrayed as kind, not dogmatic or ostentatiously pious.—
Jon Frosch,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Getting the chance to compete here feels like stepping into something sacred.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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The underground as an origin point, a sacred realm, versus the underground as a site to exploit, carve up, burn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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There's divine casting, and then there's divine casting.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
7 June 2025
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Evoking the concept of kingdoms while exploring diverse expressions of power, the pieces span empires, kingdoms, city-states, chiefdoms, and figures from divine rulers to heroic leaders.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Both have engendered a loyalty in their audiences which verges on the religious.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
8 June 2025
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The plaintiffs -- which included a group of Arkansas voters and the Christian Ministerial Alliance, a religious organization based in Little Rock -- argued the map weakens the weight of Black voters residing in southeast Pulaski County.—
Alex Thomas,
Arkansas Online,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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Basically a man who had built a solid reputation as a career university president naively entered the Church of Florida Autocracy, donned sackcloth and ashes and prostrated himself … ultimately for no heavenly reward whatsoever.—
Ron Cunningham,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2025
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During the prayers in the now-viral video, White was speaking in tongues, a practice that is commonly used by charismatic Christians who evoke ecstatic sounds that believers find to be a heavenly language.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Has there been a negative response from devout Catholics to you guys at all? Trad Caths are crazy.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
9 May 2025
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The record that Booker broke belonged to the late South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond, a devout segregationist, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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One of the quintessential activities to do during summer in the South is a classic porch hang—or patio hang, or pool hang, or sunroom hang in the blessed air-conditioning.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
26 May 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 cyberpunk chaos spirals into shoot-outs with telekinesis and giant mutant babies, all of it spectacular and ingrained in reverent filmmakers’ memories.—
Kambole Campbell,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
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Of course, Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron is still a reverent work, leaving out a few messier strands of the man’s life that Miyazaki-heads might be curious about.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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