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

His body was expected to be taken to Qom, Najaf and Kerbala, the great Shi'ite centres of Iran and Iraq, before being laid to rest on Thursday in Mashhad, home to the country's holiest pilgrim shrine. — Reuters, USA Today, 4 July 2026

But McClintock—secular, skeptical, profoundly unorthodox—wasn’t seeking the holy. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026

There are flag sweaters and skate sneakers and prairie skirts; there are Cheyanne moccasins and Mennonite bonnets and the not-quite-holy Yankees baseball cap. — Faran Krentcil, InStyle, 1 July 2026

The act of focusing intently on an object—a holy name, a mantra, the Eucharist—has the potential to transform a person’s desires. — Meghan O’Gieblyn, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Phrases Containing holy

• Holy Writ