holier; holiest
1
: exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness
2
: divine
… for the Lord our God is holy.—
Psalms 99:9 (King James Version)
Psalms 99:9 (King James Version)3
: devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity
a holy temple
holy prophets
4
a
: having a divine quality
holy love
b
: venerated as or as if sacred
holy scripture
a holy relic
5
—used as an intensive
this is a holy mess
he was a holy terror when he drank—Thomas Wolfe
—often used in combination as a mild oathThomas Wolfeholy smoke
Examples of holy in a Sentence
a holy relic worn by one of the saints
the holy monk spent many hours on his knees in prayer
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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
Eid sacrifice and public attention Before the intervention, the buffalo was expected to be sacrificed during Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s holiest holidays.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Common examples in mocktails include ashwagandha, rhodiola rosea, ginseng, holy basil and reishi mushroom.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
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.
Austin Meek, New York Times, 29 May 2026
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
Eid sacrifice and public attention Before the intervention, the buffalo was expected to be sacrificed during Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s holiest holidays.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Common examples in mocktails include ashwagandha, rhodiola rosea, ginseng, holy basil and reishi mushroom.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holy. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
