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
Being forced to compare themselves to their saintly new father also forces them to reassess their own moral standings.
—
Ben Brooks
july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Martin Scorsese will be back to tell more saintly tales.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 11 June 2025
Luckily for them, Jonathan decided to take the longest water break in the history of The Amazing Race, much to the detriment of his very patient and saintly wife.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 2 Apr. 2025
The contrast between the saintly behavior expected of these evangelists and their less-than-righteous day-to-day lives is a reliable, ever-replenishing fountain of comedy, as everlasting as the Lord’s love.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for saintly
Ben Brooks
july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Martin Scorsese will be back to tell more saintly tales.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 11 June 2025
Luckily for them, Jonathan decided to take the longest water break in the history of The Amazing Race, much to the detriment of his very patient and saintly wife.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 2 Apr. 2025
The contrast between the saintly behavior expected of these evangelists and their less-than-righteous day-to-day lives is a reliable, ever-replenishing fountain of comedy, as everlasting as the Lord’s love.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for saintly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saintly
Adjective
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Singh, who would be our local guide, always wore the five traits of a pious Sikh man — uncut hair (symbolizing strength and holiness and topped by the identifying turban), a steel bracelet, wooden comb, sheathed dagger and a baggy undergarment dating back to the Sikhs’ warrior days on horses.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
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In the old days, when Muslims had a great civilization, their smart and pious people also got paid for being smart and pious.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The siblings believed that their mother, a devout Christian, felt them, too.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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Mustafa’s 2024 debut album, Dunya—a folk memoir about growing up as a devout Muslim in a violent Toronto housing project as the son of immigrants from Sudan—was wildly acclaimed.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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During the event, breakout sessions included discussions about navigating religious observance in the military, creating a Jewish community while on duty, and how to have successful military relationships.—
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Feb. 2026
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Not only are our religious differences analogous to relating to any kind of difference, but there is so much religious influence in American society.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The movement had adherents among the student body and on the faculty at the Catholic University in Chiclayo, which has about ten thousand students, and the cathedral boasted an enormous portrait of Josemaria Escrivá, Opus Dei’s sainted founder.—
Paul Elie,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
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The jobs that Biden wanted and did create are the same ones that Trump hates: wind, solar, electric vehicles, the usual gang of sainted Democratic projects.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Observing an actual Parisian rejecting butter—one of France’s holy trinity of dairy products, along with cheese and crème fraîche—was a window into the new wellness culture seeping into what might have been the world’s last bastion of free-flowing wine and glutinous bread.—
Hannah Seligson,
Vanity Fair,
12 Feb. 2026
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Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam.—
Tony Peterson,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Phones stayed largely down — which in this case felt less like reverent immersion and more like a crowd waiting for something to catch fire.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
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Some shushed the crowds, urging them to be silent and reverent.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Saintly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saintly. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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