as in pious
showing a devotion to God and to a life of virtue
a saintly man who devoted his life to caring for the dying
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of saintly
Where ancient midwives had summoned divine assistance by uttering incantations, medieval maternity caregivers called upon saintly mothers by reciting rhythmical charms.
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Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
The truth is that the flamenco-fusion artist undertook years of research and hired the London Symphony Orchestra not to teach—nor even, despite her saintly air, to preach.
—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
Bouldering Project officially marks its entrance into the saintly city on Saturday when the doors open to its 36,000-square-foot bouldering facility in St. Paul’s West Side neighborhood.
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Mars King,
Twin Cities,
14 Nov. 2025
Plus, their father was the deacon of the local Catholic congregation – all the more reason to maintain a saintly lifestyle.
—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for saintly
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
The truth is that the flamenco-fusion artist undertook years of research and hired the London Symphony Orchestra not to teach—nor even, despite her saintly air, to preach.
—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
Bouldering Project officially marks its entrance into the saintly city on Saturday when the doors open to its 36,000-square-foot bouldering facility in St. Paul’s West Side neighborhood.
—
Mars King,
Twin Cities,
14 Nov. 2025
Plus, their father was the deacon of the local Catholic congregation – all the more reason to maintain a saintly lifestyle.
—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for saintly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saintly
Adjective
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However, this distinction did more than pit pious Americans against an atheist enemy.
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In Wake-Keeper (2026), a roughly four-by-five-foot canvas, a pious man draped in the red cloth of traditional Ghanaian funeral attire sits on a stool with his hands clasped, his body facing the left side of the frame.
Adjective
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His mother, Laura, was a devout Methodist and a vegetarian, while his father, Kenneth, who worked as an accounts clerk and also restored prams and bicycles, had been a conscientious objector, and was a militant anti-smoker.
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Back home, monks had already begun performing last rite rituals for him, as his devout Buddhist wife and daughter mourned him, presuming him dead.
Adjective
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Americans are more likely than not to favor religious expression in public schools, though most agree participation should be voluntary, a national survey has found.
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That they are entitled to not wear the uniforms, that they’re entitled to express their religious beliefs.
Adjective
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The sainted Tom Brady had a busload of go-to receivers over the years.
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Reviews rank it only behind the sainted Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar; 711 W. Magnolia Ave., 682-326-1994, instagram.com/yoichi_omakase_handroll.
Adjective
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The Temple Mount movement — a loose coalition of Israeli religious and nationalist organizations — harbors a potentially explosive mix of prophecy and politics that aims to upend some 1,300 years of Muslim control over the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest one for Jews.
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For example, the Life of Saint Æthelwold is a tenth-century biography that narrates the holy life of an English bishop.
Adjective
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Not a hushed and reverent scene at all, lively and fun.
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This is a lovely, if rather decorous and reverent, tale of an illicit affair that’s unlikely to cause as much noise as Dhont’s last two films.
Cite this Entry
“Saintly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saintly. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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