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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Our 2024 lineup is here and holy sh*t, this one will go down in the history books.
—
Michael McGough, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2025
For years, Metamorphosis existed as a kind of holy relic, long out of print, its wisdom scattered and reinterpreted across internet forums and TikTok explainers.
—Rachel Hills, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2025
Israel said Sunday that a new U.S. proposal calls for extending the ceasefire's first phase through Ramadan -- the Muslim holy month that began over the weekend -- and the Jewish Passover holiday, which ends April 20.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 3 Mar. 2025
At mosques over the weekend, Muslims began the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.
—Victoria Ivie, Orange County Register, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Michael McGough, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2025
For years, Metamorphosis existed as a kind of holy relic, long out of print, its wisdom scattered and reinterpreted across internet forums and TikTok explainers.
—Rachel Hills, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2025
Israel said Sunday that a new U.S. proposal calls for extending the ceasefire's first phase through Ramadan -- the Muslim holy month that began over the weekend -- and the Jewish Passover holiday, which ends April 20.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 3 Mar. 2025
At mosques over the weekend, Muslims began the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.
—Victoria Ivie, Orange County Register, 3 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 saat phere, where the couple circled the sacred fire seven times to take their vows, was next.—
Alexandra Macon,
Vogue,
7 Mar. 2025
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However, some institutions are sacred and should be protected from politics.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Family, friends and devoted fans are currently holding a vigil outside of the Advent Health Training Center, praying for divine intervention, but the prognosis is grim.—
Mike Bianchi,
Orlando Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2025
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Others in light blue prayed for divine intervention, understanding little else could save UCLA.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Accommodations for religious observances, like Ramadan, have been impacted as well.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN,
4 Mar. 2025
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Take time to renew your spiritual or religious beliefs.—
Georgia Nicols,
The Denver Post,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Bell, Danson, and Harper starred together on NBC's heavenly comedy The Good Place, created by Mike Schur, for four seasons from 2016-2020.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
24 Feb. 2025
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The forecast for Saturday (Feb. 22) at press time was 69 degrees and sunny, a heavenly day to try out Hollis’ barbecue for yourself, as Joe’s Holy Smoke enjoys its first day at 1515 Lee Road in Orlando.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Fields, on the other hand, seems to be actively encouraging the love between Irving and Burt’s innies to blossom, due to his devout religious beliefs, which frame innies as separate entities with their own souls.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes,
25 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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Inherent in writing is a reverent mystique, untapped by AI’s predictive interpretation.—
Elizabeth Brown,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2025
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The Sixteen The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, October 26 Part of Miller Theatre’s early-music series, the English vocal ensemble performs reverent music old and recent by William Byrd and Arvo Pärt.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
30 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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