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
In Old Goa the Museum of Christian Art, in the 17th-century Convent of Santa Monica, illustrates the imprint of Indian artisanship on the holy objects and textiles found in the region's early churches.
—
Karina Acharya, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
The fighting largely subsided in March, after the two sides declared a temporary truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
The White House and the Pentagon have used Old Testament verses to frame political or military objectives as holy missions.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
The incident prompted Christian leaders from around the world — including Pope Leo XIV — to urge Israel to stop its destruction of holy sites and civilian lives in Gaza and the West Bank.
—April 20, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Karina Acharya, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
The fighting largely subsided in March, after the two sides declared a temporary truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
The White House and the Pentagon have used Old Testament verses to frame political or military objectives as holy missions.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
The incident prompted Christian leaders from around the world — including Pope Leo XIV — to urge Israel to stop its destruction of holy sites and civilian lives in Gaza and the West Bank.
—April 20, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
-
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
-
Worshippers lit candles, read sacred texts and wrote wishes on eggs later placed in a sacred cave within the complex, a tradition believed to bring blessings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
-
Set the scene The beautiful Peloponnese, a few hours from Athens and near sacred Mount Taygetos.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Doors can open in your professional life, whether through charm and strategy or divine timing.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
The office also pointed to efforts to expand security funding for religious institutions, strengthen hate crime laws and support Holocaust and genocide education initiatives.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
Inspired by Renaissance paintings, Balenciaga creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli reimagined Yai as the Black Madonna, a figure seen throughout religious art.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
The Goryeo were devout Buddhists; so too are the Lee family, of the modern Won Buddhist sect.—
Lori Waxman,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
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
-
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 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
