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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His political campaign is spinning into high gear, posting videos showing him as a pious governor holding a Bible, praying and hugging pastors.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Feb. 2026
-
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
Adjective
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Most everyone in attendance at 2220 seemed to be there to meet or support one of their favorite artists, one of the devout purists of our time who manages to remain that without getting smug, lazy or feral, all common pitfalls.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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Now Peterson is suing to assert his advisory privileges and regain access to the DAF, which was started by his late father, Gordon Peterson, a real estate investor and devout Christian, to support evangelical Christian causes.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Khamenei was both Hezbollah’s political ally and its paramount spiritual guide; the group followed his religious rulings and used his authority to legitimize violent acts.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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Previous laws allowed minority groups to follow their religious practices and teach their languages, albeit under careful state control.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 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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Growing up, the theater was a holy place, a cathedral of congregation.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
In the midst of Allen’s deep playoff run, the players are also participating in Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.—
Ishmael Johnson,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Goodspeed Musicals does new works but also reverent revivals of theater classics and re-workings of shows that need to be updated for modern times.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
8 Mar. 2026
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That’s the biggest takeaway from the singer/songwriter’s magical, spirited and joyous performance Saturday night in front of a sold-out, absolutely reverent crowd at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Saintly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saintly. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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