saintly

adjective

saint·​ly ˈsānt-lē How to pronounce saintly (audio)
saintlier; saintliest
: relating to, resembling, or befitting a saint : holy
saintliness noun

Examples of saintly in a Sentence

a saintly man who devoted his life to caring for the dying
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In his final collection in 2010, Alexander McQueen also titled a gown after the Botticelli painting — although the grey silk organza dress was digitally printed with two saintly figures, not Botticelli’s woman. Leah Dolan, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025 Culkin’s chief rival Norton, who plays the banjo and sings as the saintly folk hero Pete Seeger, has not summoned a win yet. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2025 The relics of the monastery’s saintly founder were on view for public veneration. Therese Cory, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025 The saintly and spinsterish nurse Enid spends three sleepless days and nights soul-searching, deciding whether to report a murderer or to pursue a future with him. The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for saintly

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saintly was in 1534

Cite this Entry

“Saintly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saintly. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

saintly

adjective
saint·​ly ˈsānt-lē How to pronounce saintly (audio)
saintlier; saintliest
: relating to, resembling, or proper for a saint : holy
saintliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on saintly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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