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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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
He was extremely learned—fluent Latin and a sound grasp of Greek—and went on annual pilgrimages to Medjugorje and other holy places devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
—
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Iranian missiles have fallen near Jerusalem’s holiest sites, raising the risk of igniting a broader religious conflict across the Middle East.
—Marissa Newman, Bloomberg, 24 Mar. 2026
Mamdani has attended and posted from iftar dinners to mark the end of the daily fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
The neighboring Southeast Asian countries have been fighting over Preah Vihear temple on and off for decades, and that's putting the ancient holy site in danger.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Iranian missiles have fallen near Jerusalem’s holiest sites, raising the risk of igniting a broader religious conflict across the Middle East.
—Marissa Newman, Bloomberg, 24 Mar. 2026
Mamdani has attended and posted from iftar dinners to mark the end of the daily fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
The neighboring Southeast Asian countries have been fighting over Preah Vihear temple on and off for decades, and that's putting the ancient holy site in danger.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
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In addition to the pious, persevering Goma and flawed Chandravati in the mortal realm, in the divine realm there are the goddesses Sati and her reincarnation as Parvati.—
Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
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In theory, their story ought to have enough drama to satisfy both pious and secular tastes.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In honor of our Queen of the Damned, a bizarre bazaar dedicated to all things dark, creepy and vampiric materializes at festival headquarters on Sunday April 12th, the exact date marking the 50th anniversary of the publication of our sacred tome, Interview With The Vampire.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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To hold the nation together, the Trimmer treats the law not as impediment to his power but as a sacred trust and inheritance.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Mesopotamian patients were instructed to seek divine help specifically for complaints of the ear, spleen, and pancreas.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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For all its divine ambition, the series falls victim to the same old pitfalls that have sunk biopics of so many lesser mortals.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Army Chaplain Corps guidelines published during the Biden administration in February 2024, which remained on the Army’s website following the March 24 announcement, said the Chaplain Corps at that point represented more than 100 religious groups.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
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The speaker is considered a religious and social conservative within Iranian politics.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Kimbell show foregrounds how these works were used in the devotional and liturgical life of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.—
Sarah Kozlowski,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Mar. 2026
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The community is guided by a liturgical calendar, which Prince explains makes every day feel like a sacred moment.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For countless generations, humanity’s skyward gaze has revealed a heavenly abyss.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Mar. 2026
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Should an earthly leader be promoting a heavenly cause?—
Brett Whalen,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For devout followers of BTS, or their colleagues in groups like Blackpink and Stray Kids, sales figures and stream counts are not neutral matters of fact.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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In addition to being a hysterical actor and writer, Wilson is a devout student of reality television and hosts the podcast Bitch Sesh about the Real Housewives franchise.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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British talk show host Graham Norton, who has had Swift as a guest on his program, claimed to have garnered an invite to the blessed event.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2026
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Ayatollah Khamenei personally ‘blessed’ Nouri al-Maliki’s nomination.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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