saintly

adjective

saint·​ly ˈsānt-lē 

saintlier; saintliest

: relating to, resembling, or befitting a saint : holy

saintliness noun

Synonyms of saintly

• pious
• devout
• religious
• sainted
• holy
• reverent

Examples of saintly in a Sentence

a saintly man who devoted his life to caring for the dying

Recent Examples on the Web

Giving her character some heft beyond the saintly was a backstory in which Edie’s brother had recently met with a violent death on the very docks that Brando’s Terry Malloy is forever scrambling for advantage. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

Hinton, known as the godfather of AI, is portrayed as a saintly figure who espouses a model of growth based on truth, patience, and moderation, much to the frustration of his pupil. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026

This saintly billionaire is too good to exist — and soon doesn’t. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Prudhomme smiles with saintly patience as a gentleman takes an age to take a selfie. — Andy McGrath, New York Times, 11 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for saintly

• faintly
• quaintly

Kids Definition

saintly

adjective

saint·​ly ˈsānt-lē 

saintlier; saintliest

: relating to, resembling, or proper for a saint : holy

saintliness noun