holy

adjective

ˈhō-lē How to pronounce holy (audio)
Definition of holynext
1
as in pious
showing a devotion to God and to a life of virtue the holy monk spent many hours on his knees in prayer

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2
as in sacred
set apart or worthy of veneration by association with God the Torah contains the holy writings of Judaism

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3
as in divine
of, relating to, or being God the Holy Trinity

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4
as in pure
not to be violated, criticized, or tampered with the hour every Saturday she listens to her radio program is holy and you'd better not make her miss it

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of holy How could one holy book give its readers such seemingly contradictory directives? — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 The star has dedicated himself with the fervor of a holy crusader to the notion that, to quote his ex-wife, we are not just entertained but reborn when the lights go down and our collective dreams show up onscreen. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026 In Lourdes, a holy site in southern France, around 150,000 attended an open-air papal Mass, according to Vatican estimates which dwarf the numbers of faithful who turned out for the last papal visit in 2008. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026 With the White Sox officially in Major League Baseball’s postseason, some joke that the Chicago team may have had a little bit of holy help. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
  1. pious
  2. sacred
  3. divine
  4. religious
  5. liturgical
  6. heavenly
  7. devout
  8. blessed
Adjective
  • But the overall picture of religious infighting in 1640s Britain is essential to understanding how some people, especially poorer folk and especially women, found themselves on the wrong side of powerful, pious opponents.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Romania is one of the most pious countries in the European Union, with around 85% of the population identifying as religious.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pious
Adjective
  • The wellness sanctuary and healing arts studio is rooted in ancient rituals and holistic treatments, like sacred sound therapy.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The governor also vetoed a bill authored by Assemblymember James Ramos (D-Highland) that would have established protections for tribes to hold religious ceremonies at sacred sites on state lands.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of sacred
Adjective
  • But to conservative Christian critics, even the possibility of portraying a divine Christ figure as anything but male goes beyond artistic license.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In mid-September, Oprah posted an Instagram reel wearing the most divine sweater, which combined a fisherman knit with delicate lace trim.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of divine
Adjective
  • Jones forced his religious and political views onto Levy throughout their relationship, according to prosecutors.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
  • One of the newly unemployed is Olivia Siffre (Rachel Keller), a fledgling lawyer who recently moved to California to get away from her hovering, hyper-religious parents.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of religious
Adjective
  • Along with the album, U2 released two surprise EPs this year, Days of Ash and Easter Lily, that turn out to be conceptually linked to the new album via the liturgical calendar, with carnival preceding Lent and Easter.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026
  • For seventeen years, graduation season had carried a liturgical cadence for him.
    — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of liturgical
Adjective
  • The duo think they’re headed to the heavenly afterlife only to arrive at the office of the Devil (voiced by Culkin), who seems overwhelmed by his job.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
  • To qualify for beatification, the Vatican normally requires one miracle attributable to the faithful seeking the candidate's heavenly prayers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of heavenly
Adjective
  • The backstory Personas in the hotel’s backstory include a Thai rockstar-slash-antiques collector, a devout Buddhist business tycoon, and a superstar designer.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Some of the plot points had changed—the pilgrim’s less-devout husband, for example, was a more robust character.
    — Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of devout
Adjective
  • Thai Buddhists fill a container with blessed water, which is attached to a pulley that leads to the upper part of the chedi.
    — Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Once, in the blessed era before the 24/7 news cycle and the omnipresence of social media, there was a lull in the months after the primary, with campaign activities picking back up around Labor Day.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of blessed

Phrases Containing holy

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hols
holy
holy day
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Cite this Entry

“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on holy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about holy

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