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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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.
—
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
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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The aim wasn’t to make the chatbot Bible-thumping or pious.—
Chris Stokel-Walker,
Scientific American,
26 May 2026
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Maria, austere and deeply pious, runs the business with an iron hand, obsessed with making the family’s origins forgotten.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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His Baptist parents raised him in the church, and his mother was particularly devout.—
Rachel Cole,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 May 2026
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As devout Sunni Muslims, many Uyghur fighters sympathized with the largely Sunni Islamist militias, especially those that became part of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of militia groups, including Jabhat al-Nusra, which until 2016 was affiliated with al-Qaida.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Hampshire’s police and crime commissioner has called for a review of religious exemptions on the carrying of knives in public after the fatal stabbing of Henry Nowak last December.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
3 June 2026
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The site offers a rare window into the religious and cultural beliefs of the ancient Lycian people, about whom relatively little is known — a mystery that only deepens its appeal.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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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.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Playing the rivalry at any other time would be an affront to all that’s good and holy.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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In such a distrustful environment, everything that should be pure or holy or human is crushed under the weight of a state only interested in its own self-perpetuation.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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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.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
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Nonetheless, mathematicians remember him with reverent affection.—
Konstantin Kakaes,
Quanta Magazine,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Saintly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saintly. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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