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
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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
The novel setup invited any number of issues that might have ruined the whole thing, but the experience was somehow redeemed and made special by its foundational reverence for the holy light of cinema.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, journalists often referred to him, Kool Herc, and Grandmaster Flash as an unofficial holy trinity key to hip-hop’s growth into the most important American cultural movement of the end of the 20th century.
—Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
The Great Mosque of Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, is located less than a quarter-mile from the development.
—Nathalie Nietzsche-Knappe, Architectural Digest, 7 Apr. 2026
The restrictions also dampened the recent Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holiday, as well as the current weeklong Jewish festival of Passover.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, journalists often referred to him, Kool Herc, and Grandmaster Flash as an unofficial holy trinity key to hip-hop’s growth into the most important American cultural movement of the end of the 20th century.
—Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
The Great Mosque of Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, is located less than a quarter-mile from the development.
—Nathalie Nietzsche-Knappe, Architectural Digest, 7 Apr. 2026
The restrictions also dampened the recent Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holiday, as well as the current weeklong Jewish festival of Passover.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
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As Mildred Layton, the pious pastor’s wife first played on screen by Kristin Chenoweth, Ana Gasteyer is in her element.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The Colombian grandmother of my childhood summers was funny, mean, pious, and hard—despite being tremendously sensitive in her own way.—
Adriana E. Ramírez,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Dragons, representing sacred authority, were a motif also reserved just for the ruling classes.—
Lori Waxman,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Every 13th night, devoted locals journey up the mountain seeking a sacred cure.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Doors can open in your professional life, whether through charm and strategy or divine timing.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
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Riefenstahl was an expert at using lighting and shadows, of creating a sense of patriotism and glory and even divine mandate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Today, Lowery is an atheist, having left the Catholic Church a long time ago, but his religious upbringing still has a hold on him.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
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Skewering everything from leftist factional infighting to religious zealotry, the movie follows Brian (Graham Chapman), born in the same stable as Jesus and initially mistaken for him.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
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Although the pope celebrates mass regularly on Sundays, feast days, and many other occasions, the Urbi et Orbi blessing is much rarer, reserved for solemn events in the church’s liturgical calendar.—
Leo XIV,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This heavenly spin on tiramisu is ideal for spring.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
22 Apr. 2026
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That’s to say, there’s earthly authority and there’s heavenly authority.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a devout socialist and one of the most vocal opponents of the Pentagon’s Operation Epic Fury in Iran, brushed off the threat of being removed from the alliance.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2026
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The Pharisees were the most devout members of ancient Israeli society, and their real agenda was not to trouble Jesus, but to protest against and challenge Rome.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On Good Friday, there was a Yankees Opening Day game played in the afternoon hours, which coincided with this most blessed holiday.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
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April is a blessed month for genre fans, because as well as Thrash, Netflix is gifting us with another potentially-awesome-but-likely-terrible film with the survival thriller Apex, which premieres on April 24.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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