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
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Recent Examples of holy
Competition with Islam led Christians to adjust their views on pacifism and procreation: by the twelfth century, violence against Muslims was holy and the production of children to aid in the fight was, for those not required to be celibate, a Christian duty.
—
S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Attacks against the Druze included massacres, forced conversion to Islam and the destruction of Druze houses of worship and holy places.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Rome celebrates its Jubilee year throughout 2025, and more than 30 million Christian pilgrims are expected to flock to the Eternal City's holy sites.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The mass, held at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Fort Lauderdale, marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent for Catholics and Christians, a time for reflection and repentance ahead of the celebration of Easter.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Attacks against the Druze included massacres, forced conversion to Islam and the destruction of Druze houses of worship and holy places.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Rome celebrates its Jubilee year throughout 2025, and more than 30 million Christian pilgrims are expected to flock to the Eternal City's holy sites.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The mass, held at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Fort Lauderdale, marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent for Catholics and Christians, a time for reflection and repentance ahead of the celebration of Easter.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
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The grieving sisters try to uncover the truth about what happened to Grace, and increasingly suspect Roger’s pious, overbearing sister Angelica (Fiona Shaw) of wrongdoing — but turn out to be (mostly) wrong about her intentions.—
Meredith Blake,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Dec. 2024
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Advertisement Nazanin goes through the same preparations as Salme, who has turned supremely pious in the intervening years, and Zari, who has grown more level-headed, not to say jaded.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The right to seek legal redress and the right of the press to report on it are sacred principles that are protected by multiple privileges, including the litigation and fair report privileges, which are absolute.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2025
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On May 19, 2022, two astrophotographers set up near the sacred lake of Pumoyongcuo on the southern Tibetan Plateau captured a vibrant display streaking across the Himalayan sky.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This divine/human analogy, recalling La vie de Jésus, is a splendidly esoteric conceit.—
Armond White,
National Review,
14 Mar. 2025
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Its stunning green color comes from the combination of the diverse ingredients that not only look beautiful but taste divine.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And in the middle is a holiday associated with merry drinking and a centuries-old religious figure: St. Patrick's Day.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA TODAY,
16 Mar. 2025
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Women belonging to ethnic and religious minorities experienced distinct harms that were compounded by pre-existing discrimination and violence against them - as women and as minorities.—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The heavenly duvet cover is just as it’s described—absolutely heavenly!—
Sarah Boyd,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Once the sun sets, the sky twinkles with a seemingly infinite number of heavenly lights.—
Jason Chau,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The filmmaker-actor will portray a fearless inspector characterized as a devout follower of the Hindu God Ayyappa with zero tolerance for corruption.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 Feb. 2025
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The pontiff is resting, the Vatican's press office said publicly on Wednesday morning, in one of its twice-daily updates that have drawn the close attention of devout Catholics worldwide.—
Willem Marx,
NPR,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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His progression has been superb since breaking into the first team, and those around the club feel blessed to have such a talent on their hands.—
Pol Ballús,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
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Mendez wears the blessed boxers for every game and only washes them when the team loses.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And last fall, Hurley played a set to a hushed, reverent audience at the annual Brooklyn Folk Festival.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
18 Mar. 2025
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Sometimes, the most loving creations are the least reverent.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
11 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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