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
Hello from the Milken conference in Beverly Hills, the birthplace and holy temple of confidence men.
—
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 6 May 2026
The 13 holy men, from southern villages and towns, including Rmeich, Ain Ebel, Debel, and Marjayoun, were pleasantly surprised.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
My parents had been dreaming of visiting a holy site in southern France for decades when the opportunity to go finally arose.
—Mary Beth Skylis, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026
Stripped of its holy residents, the abbey took on a new life as the headquarters of a company that mined the local iron ore, which was destined for the infrastructure of a rapidly industrializing Europe.
—CBS News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 6 May 2026
The 13 holy men, from southern villages and towns, including Rmeich, Ain Ebel, Debel, and Marjayoun, were pleasantly surprised.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
My parents had been dreaming of visiting a holy site in southern France for decades when the opportunity to go finally arose.
—Mary Beth Skylis, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026
Stripped of its holy residents, the abbey took on a new life as the headquarters of a company that mined the local iron ore, which was destined for the infrastructure of a rapidly industrializing Europe.
—CBS News, 1 May 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
-
In a town in northern Peru, a teenager addicted to video games begins to desecrate the sacred ruins of his ancestors in search of money to continue playing.—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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This is all, of course, a provocation, a way of merging the sacred and profane, and asking which is which.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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In a passage from the Torah read on the holiest day of the year, God reveals to Moses the part of the divine persona that humans are supposed to emulate.—
Kenneth Seeskin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
Consider these fragrant flowers to grow in pots to make your space smell divine.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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The detentions come after a handful of other arrests months earlier, but Fúnez has long been pinpointed by local environmental and religious leaders as the man who spearheaded the assassination.—
Marlon González,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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The complaint alleged Rollins has sent numerous religious emails to USDA employees since becoming secretary in February 2025, including an Independence Day email calling for God’s protection of and favor toward the United States.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
13 May 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
-
Hathaway’s White Queen floats with sweet highs and dark lows, her heavenly air masking a morbid psychosis.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
This grand pavilion was built to resemble the Palace of the Moon in Jade City in the heavenly realm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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The series written by Tolkien, a devout Catholic, became a popular franchise with conservatives.—
Alexander Hall,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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There are other surprises in store for even the most devout Frankenthaler fans.—
Grace Edquist,
Vogue,
7 May 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 15 May. 2026.
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