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
The Azteca stadium — Mexico’s most iconic sporting venue and a holy site for football fans around the globe — reopened in March after two years of renovation work.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 June 2026
In addition to sweet basil, there are many varieties of basil, including Thai, lemon, holy, opal, and spicy globe, and lemon basil, which offer exciting flavor differences.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 June 2026
It is considered holy by Judaism, Islam and Christianity and home to key religious sites like the Western Wall, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
—Dan Mangan,emma Graham,hugh Leask,kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 3 June 2026
Bicentennial holy card Many items in the Marian Library’s collection, such as holy cards, also demonstrate American Catholics’ devotion to Mary as the Immaculate Conception.
—Bridget Retzloff, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
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Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 June 2026
In addition to sweet basil, there are many varieties of basil, including Thai, lemon, holy, opal, and spicy globe, and lemon basil, which offer exciting flavor differences.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 June 2026
It is considered holy by Judaism, Islam and Christianity and home to key religious sites like the Western Wall, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
—Dan Mangan,emma Graham,hugh Leask,kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 3 June 2026
Bicentennial holy card Many items in the Marian Library’s collection, such as holy cards, also demonstrate American Catholics’ devotion to Mary as the Immaculate Conception.
—Bridget Retzloff, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy
Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holy. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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