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
Tender, fresh okra and holy trinity pepper, onions, and celery add a lovely contrast of texture while contributing pops of color.
—
Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
In one thirteenth-century version of the story, a holy man sees the demon in church, dragging a huge sack.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
The King and Queen earlier met the new pontiff for the first time since his May election on Thursday morning, following their arrival in Rome the previous evening to celebrate the holy Jubilee year, which takes place every quarter of a century.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The not-quite-musical (the Shakers were known for their frenzied singing) and not-quite-biopic was recently acquired by Searchlight, with a suitably holy Christmas Day release planned.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
In one thirteenth-century version of the story, a holy man sees the demon in church, dragging a huge sack.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
The King and Queen earlier met the new pontiff for the first time since his May election on Thursday morning, following their arrival in Rome the previous evening to celebrate the holy Jubilee year, which takes place every quarter of a century.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The not-quite-musical (the Shakers were known for their frenzied singing) and not-quite-biopic was recently acquired by Searchlight, with a suitably holy Christmas Day release planned.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
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Supported, at least initially, by his pious wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), and his two teenage daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki), Iman and his clan seem set for a comfy bourgeois life.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
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She was considered pious and held in high regard in the community, which made the accusations against her surprising.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That all being said, November 1st is sacred.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
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Those individuals do not necessarily share the view that the Jewish people still share a sacred covenant with God.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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According to internet wisdom, this is the origin of the meme, including the necessary hand gesture, where you pantomime juggling as if deliberating between the two numbers, trying to triangulate some specific, perhaps divine, structure.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
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Just double-check your emails, avoid signing contracts unless necessary, and be open to divine redirections.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This has given the conflict a religious coloration, and political elites have also chosen to politicize the conflict to negotiate power and other interests, which has complicated the problem.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Seyfried spoke to the real-life Ann Lee's experience losing all of her children at a young age, which influenced her religious views.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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During his tenure, Nelson introduced a series of organizational and liturgical changes intended to emphasize the centrality of Jesus Christ in church practice and to streamline local worship.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
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The work, which King has described as a meditation on love, resilience and inner-strength, is set to Black spirituals and Jewish liturgical music, features vocals by the great singer Lisa Fischer and a score by piano great Jason Moran, artists with whom the collab-happy King has worked before.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Sold to Menemsha, studied in its craft, genuinely tense and gorgeously shot, highlighting the heavenly mountains and a historical hell.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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The motions of the stars also exhibited a similar 24 hour period, as though the heavenly canopy rotated throughout the night.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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She was described as a happy, devout child who loved reading.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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And nearly all socialists, like most other Oklahomans, were devout Christians.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Los Angeles Dodgers had a blessed World Series run.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Meyers, who graciously agreed to an Evite for the blessed event, then suggested Swift send the invites in a picture frame, since people will probably frame it up anyway.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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