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
Awad hopes to introduce a Ramadan buffet next year for those breaking their dawn-to-sunset fast during the Muslim holy month.
—Mari Pressley, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2025
It's earmarked for the poor and needy and often given out during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
—Betsy Joles, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025
Here's what people should know about the Islamic festival that closes out a holy month of fasting and religious study.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
That deadline will arrive on the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, which ends the holy month of Ramadan.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mari Pressley, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2025
It's earmarked for the poor and needy and often given out during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
—Betsy Joles, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025
Here's what people should know about the Islamic festival that closes out a holy month of fasting and religious study.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
That deadline will arrive on the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, which ends the holy month of Ramadan.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 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 4 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share