holy

[hoh-lee]

adjective

holier, holiest 

1. specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated.

   holy ground.

   Synonyms: blessed

2. dedicated or devoted to the service of God, the church, or religion.

   a holy man.

3. saintly; godly; pious; devout.

   a holy life.

   Antonyms: impious, corrupt

4. having a spiritually pure quality.

   a holy love.

   Synonyms: spiritual
   Antonyms: impious, corrupt

5. entitled to worship or veneration as or as if sacred.

   a holy relic.

6. religious.

   holy rites.

7. inspiring fear, awe, or grave distress.

   The director, when angry, is a holy terror.

8. (used in certain interjections to express surprise, bewilderment, or wonder, as in holy cow andholy smoke. )

noun

plural

holies 

1. a place of worship; sacred place; sanctuary.

holy

/ ˈhəʊlɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or associated with God or a deity; sacred

2. endowed or invested with extreme purity or sublimity

3. devout, godly, or virtuous

4. offensively sanctimonious or self-righteous

   a holier-than-thou attitude

5. 1. a difficult or frightening person

   2. informal,  a person who is an active gambler, womanizer, etc

noun

1. 1. a sacred place

   2. (functioning as plural) persons or things invested with holiness

Word History and Origins

Origin of holy¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English holi, Old English hālig, variant of hāleg, equivalent to hāl whole + -eg -y ¹; cognate with Dutch, German heilig, Old Norse heilagr

Word History and Origins

Origin of holy¹

Old English hālig, hǣlig; related to Old Saxon hēlag, Gothic hailags, German heilig; see _hallow

Synonym Study

Holy, sacred, consecrated, hallowed imply possession of a sanctity that is the object of religious veneration. Holy refers to the divine, that which has its sanctity directly from God or is connected with Him: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Something that is sacred, while sometimes accepted as entitled to religious veneration, may have its sanctity from human authority: a sacred oath. Something that is consecrated is specially or formally dedicated to some religious use: a life consecrated to service. Something that is hallowed has been made holy by being worshiped: a hallowed shrine.

Example Sentences

Beautiful Eagle Creek sits just off Tillman Road in Statesboro, Ga., tracing the edge of the practice field at Georgia Southern University, where for more than four decades, the creek has been considered holy ground.

From Los Angeles Times

Home to the centuries-old temple to Manjunatha Swamy - an incarnation of Shiva from the Hindu holy trinity - the town attracts thousands of pilgrims daily and is central to the fabric of local people's lives.

From BBC

On Friday, as the clock ticked down to the beginning of the talks in Alaska, Ukrainians were celebrating a holy day - the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

From BBC

On Tisha B'Av he went there himself to lead prayers, an action that in the fragile and tense holy city was seen by some as a provocative political move.

From BBC

But the transformation, from humble to holy, is the part you can count on.

From Salon

Related Words

• divine 
• hallowed 
• humble 
• pure 
• revered 
• righteous 
• spiritual 
• sublime