hallowed
adjective
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Hallowed Has Old English Roots
The adjective hallowed, meaning "holy" or "revered," isn’t especially spooky, but its history is entwined with that of a certain spooky season. Hallowed is the past participle of the verb hallow, a term that descends from the Middle English word halowen. That word can be traced back to the Old English adjective hālig, meaning "holy." During the Middle Ages, All Hallows' Day was the name for what Christians now call All Saints' Day (hallow was once used also as a noun referring to a saint), and the evening that preceded All Hallows' Day was All Hallows' Eve or All Hallow Even—or, as we know it today, Halloween. (Although pumpkins are often hollowed out on Halloween, hollow has a different Old English root.)
Examples of hallowed in a Sentence
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
The hallowed things of the past have no more claim on you now than a cookie on a plate.
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Padgett Powell,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
The Other Bennet Sister spends a lot of its running time poking fun at the hallowed genre of the British period drama.
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Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
30 June 2026
The hallowed movie organization released a list of the 100 greatest comedies back in 2004, ranking three Brooks' classics, including Blazing Saddles at number 6.
—
Rance Collins,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hallowed
Cite this Entry
“Hallowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hallowed. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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