holier; holiest
1
: exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness
2
: divine
for the Lord our God is holy—
Psalms 99:9 (King James Version)
Psalms 99:9 (King James Version)3
: devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity
a holy temple
holy prophets
4
a
: having a divine quality
holy love
b
: venerated as or as if sacred
holy scripture
a holy relic
5
—used as an intensive
this is a holy mess
he was a holy terror when he drank—Thomas Wolfe
—often used in combination as a mild oathThomas Wolfeholy smoke
Examples of holy in a Sentence
a holy relic worn by one of the saints
the holy monk spent many hours on his knees in prayer
Recent Examples on the Web
As the world mourns Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, age 88—a symbolic end following the Church’s holiest calendar.
—Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Loading your audio article Pope Francis never visited California or his holy namesake’s city by the bay, but in many ways, the heart of his message made a tremendous imprint here.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 21 Apr. 2025
This was the power that Francis wanted the Church to embrace: a gentle, holy power, one that cooperates with divine power, and therefore the real power in this world, which alone is capable of creating a new future.
—Austen Ivereigh, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
With both Easter Sunday and the end of Passover falling on the same day this year, April 20, Jewish and Christian faithful around Southern California and the world are finding creative ways to observe — and celebrate — the holy holidays.
—Allyson Vergara, Oc Register, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Loading your audio article Pope Francis never visited California or his holy namesake’s city by the bay, but in many ways, the heart of his message made a tremendous imprint here.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 21 Apr. 2025
This was the power that Francis wanted the Church to embrace: a gentle, holy power, one that cooperates with divine power, and therefore the real power in this world, which alone is capable of creating a new future.
—Austen Ivereigh, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
With both Easter Sunday and the end of Passover falling on the same day this year, April 20, Jewish and Christian faithful around Southern California and the world are finding creative ways to observe — and celebrate — the holy holidays.
—Allyson Vergara, Oc Register, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holy. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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