holy
specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated: holy ground.
dedicated or devoted to the service of God, the church, or religion: a holy man.
having a spiritually pure quality: a holy love.
entitled to worship or veneration as or as if sacred: a holy relic.
religious (def. 1): holy rites.
inspiring fear, awe, or grave distress: The director, when angry, is a holy terror.
(used in certain interjections to express surprise, bewilderment, or wonder, as in holy cow and holy smoke.)
Origin of holy
1synonym study For holy
Other words for holy
Opposites for holy
Words that may be confused with holy
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use holy in a sentence
Working through WhatsApp rumor mills, these groups lay siege to highways, stop vans transporting cows to cattle fairs and slaughterhouses — beef is seen as holy by many Hindus — and assault the Muslims and Dalits in those vehicles.
As long as we’re embodied beings, processing the world through our senses, there will be no holier grail than making sure that what those senses register is pleasurable.
Solarpunk Is Growing a Gorgeous New World in the Cracks of the Old One | Carin Ism | September 6, 2020 | Singularity HubI began a journey on which I met with holy men and documented varying aspects of my culture.
The holy grail of tests may be one that is fast, easy, accurate and inexpensive and that could be used broadly — even by people at home.
New coronavirus tests promise to be faster, cheaper and easier | Jack J. Lee | August 31, 2020 | Science NewsThe holy grail of front camera design is the under-display front camera.
Xiaomi’s “third-generation” under-display camera looks nearly invisible | Ron Amadeo | August 28, 2020 | Ars Technica
The Via Dolorosa ends at the Church of the holy Sepulchre, and is marked by nine stations of the cross.
“You were going to work your way into my marriage and you were going to call its new three-way shape holy” the narrator recounts.
Because holy hell was that bland, unfunny, uncomfortable, and just plain confusing.
The Biggest Bombs of 2014: ‘Sex Tape,’ Mariah Carey’s Vocals, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and More | Kevin Fallon | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd he was indicted in Israel last week on charges he plotted to blow up sites holy to Islam.
The Strange Case of the Christian Zionist Terrorist | Creede Newton | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIsraelis often are amused and appalled by the crazies attracted to the holy Land, and not only for religious reasons.
The Strange Case of the Christian Zionist Terrorist | Creede Newton | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAfter his death crowds flocked to his grave to touch his holy monument, till the authorities caused the church yard to be shut.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellHis holy book says: There is more joy over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just men.
Their sin began on holy Thursday, with so little secrecy and so bad an example, that the affair was beginning to leak out.
All these things shall be for good to the holy, so to the sinners and the ungodly they shall be turned into evil.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousThe spread of the holy gospel and uninterrupted preaching went on until the return of the ambassador.
British Dictionary definitions for holy
/ (ˈhəʊlɪ) /
of, relating to, or associated with God or a deity; sacred
endowed or invested with extreme purity or sublimity
devout, godly, or virtuous
holier-than-thou offensively sanctimonious or self-righteous: a holier-than-thou attitude
holy terror
a difficult or frightening person
Irish informal a person who is an active gambler, womanizer, etc
a sacred place
the holy (functioning as plural) persons or things invested with holiness
Origin of holy
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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