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.
The priest at the church, which had been sanctified by the recent arrival of some saintly relics from Rome, tried talking to the demon living in the girl’s body. Matthew Gabriele, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024 The visit of the skull of St. Thomas Aquinas is also a reminder of the great gift of his saintly scholarship. Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 3 Dec. 2024 The nature of partisan politics guarantees that flawed political candidates will be transmuted by their champions into saintly men of destiny. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 2 Dec. 2024 There was way too much of the saintly Taylor — she’s-going-to-save-every-one-of-us — Swift. Matt Thompson, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near saintly

Cite this Entry

“Saintly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saintly. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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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