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holy

adjective

ˈhō-lē How to pronounce holy (audio)
Definition of holynext
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

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2
as in sacred
set apart or worthy of veneration by association with God the Torah contains the holy writings of Judaism

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3
as in divine
of, relating to, or being God the Holy Trinity

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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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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 This campaign season contains all sorts of scenarios screaming for holy intervention. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 The holiday is a holy time for Jews, and is believed to be the birthday of the universe or the day God created Adam and Eve. — Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026 The Ranch is situated nine miles away from Aspen in a kind of holy trinity with the local fire station and the local chapel, each side of the triangle about the length of a football field. — Sarah Douglas, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Once upon a time, Herzog was the crazy visionary, determined at all costs to realize his aesthetic ambitions to feel more, to see deeper, to explore the madness of the world, a bit of a holy fool himself. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
  1. pious
  2. sacred
  3. divine
  4. religious
  5. liturgical
  6. heavenly
  7. devout
  8. blessed
Adjective
  • Preachers and patricians constantly warned that, if allowed to live unchecked in the city, Jews would ‘infect’ the Christian faithful, poisoning the minds of the pious and stealing souls away from salvation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Romania is one of the most pious countries in the European Union, with around 85% of the population identifying as religious.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pious
Adjective
  • This is now the third attempt to deface this sacred memorial and turn it into a vanity project for one man’s ego.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The production’s creative team, led by the inexhaustibly inventive director José Luis Valenzuela, returns us to a world where the dead are owed sacred duties and the living are fearful to renege on this basic human responsibility.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of sacred
Adjective
  • The ingredients that turn a flop into a cult classic are difficult to divine.
    — Lila Shapiro, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • This understanding reveals that our substance is not material – that, in fact, matter has nothing to do with our substance, which is entirely spiritual, as the expression of divine Spirit.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of divine
Adjective
  • Though religious thinkers will fight fiercely to show one of the stories to be the one that religion really sanctions, each Abrahamic religion has signposts pointing both ways.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Today it is shown with regularity in religious schools, and has a fervent following among theater kids.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of religious
Adjective
  • Paintings, liturgical objects and the clothes of a notable 18th century Spanish count were among the other items removed from the monastery.
    — Angela Charlton, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Cupichs attended a parish where mass was celebrated in Latin (the liturgical changes of the Second Vatican Council were yet to come) but the sermons were spoken in Croatian.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Definition of liturgical
Adjective
  • Set on the edge of the Village of Lindos, the heavenly parcel and its glass-like waters are nearly encased by rocks with stretches of smooth sand on either side.
    — Jennifer Tzeses, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Eleven years before that, Super Bowl XLIX gave us an all-time finish, from Jermaine Kearse’s heavenly juggle to Malcolm Butler’s fateful pick at the goal line.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of heavenly
Adjective
  • The early Robin Hood was no polished folk hero, Jones says, but a violent, devout yeoman pushed to society’s edge by corrupt officials.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Johnny Cash was a lot of things — devout Christian, country superstar, anti-Vietnam activist, variety show host.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of devout
Adjective
  • Thai Buddhists fill a container with blessed water, which is attached to a pulley that leads to the upper part of the chedi.
    — Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Once, in the blessed era before the 24/7 news cycle and the omnipresence of social media, there was a lull in the months after the primary, with campaign activities picking back up around Labor Day.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of blessed

Phrases Containing holy

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hols
holy
holy day
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Cite this Entry

“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on holy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about holy

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