Synonyms of holy

holy

adjective

ˈhō-lē 

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

• pious
• religious
• devout
• reverent
• spiritual
• saintly
• godly
• sainted
• venerable
• ascetic
• worshipful
• blessed
• reverential
• prayerful
• pure
• moral
• pietistic
• virtuous
• angelic
• chaste
• righteous
• religiose
• canonized
• cherubic
• beatified
• upright

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unholy
• impious
• godless
• ungodly
• faithless
• irreligious
• blasphemous
• secular
• antireligious
• sacrilegious
• profane
• irreverent
• worldly
• nonreligious
• unspiritual
• evil
• desecrating
• sinful
• unfaithful
• wicked
• immoral
• unrighteous
• profanatory
• backsliding
• iniquitous
• sinning
• miscreant

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

• sacred
• liturgical
• consecrated
• venerated
• religious
• sacral
• revered
• biblical
• sacrosanct
• sanctified
• blessed
• consecrate
• hallowed
• spiritual
• ceremonial
• ritual
• sacramental
• priestly
• scriptural
• adored
• worshipped
• enshrined
• glorified

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unconsecrated
• unhallowed
• secular
• earthly
• temporal
• nonreligious
• desacralized
• worldly
• unspiritual
• deconsecrated
• mundane
• profane

3

as in divine

of, relating to, or being God

the Holy Trinity

Synonyms & Similar Words

• divine
• sacred
• heavenly
• blessed
• eternal
• godly
• supernatural
• godlike
• immortal
• everlasting
• supreme
• omnipotent
• almighty
• omniscient
• all-powerful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• human
• natural
• mortal

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

• sacred
• pure
• inviolable
• untouchable
• unassailable
• sacrosanct
• protected
• privileged
• hallowed
• exempt
• immune
• inviolate
• secure
• shielded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blasphemous
• irreverent
• profane
• sacrilegious

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of holy

With the White Sox officially in Major League Baseball’s postseason, some joke that the Chicago team may have had a little bit of holy help. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026

As well as being a holy site, Lourdes attracts around 3 million pilgrims a year, including approximately 60,000 sick and disabled pilgrims. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

This holy consciousness recognizes the entirely spiritual nature of reality, which is the eternal truth that links the Bible to Christian Science. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026

Thin partitions marked an early attempt to slice the space into smaller rooms, but the original brick walls remained bare, shivering with cobwebs, where someone had pasted a picture of a man, holy hands bracketing a redbrick heart. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Phrases Containing holy

• Holy Writ