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
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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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of holy
God told Moses that God wants all people to be holy as God is holy (Leviticus 19:1).
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Walt Shelton, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
At Wesleyan College, actions this week will be informed by its Methodist heritage, which teaches to engage in holy conferencing – a practice of discussing differing views with respect, humility, and a genuine desire to understand one another.
—Paul Klein, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
There is an incredible world-class collection that would seem like a holy grail, but underneath, a whole family portrait of pain is unboxed.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 14 Nov. 2024
What to wear: Since this is a holy place of prayer, visitors who identify as women are expected to be in modest dress, including a head covering and loose-fitting garments that cover from the neck to the ankle.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for holy 
Walt Shelton, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
At Wesleyan College, actions this week will be informed by its Methodist heritage, which teaches to engage in holy conferencing – a practice of discussing differing views with respect, humility, and a genuine desire to understand one another.
—Paul Klein, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
There is an incredible world-class collection that would seem like a holy grail, but underneath, a whole family portrait of pain is unboxed.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 14 Nov. 2024
What to wear: Since this is a holy place of prayer, visitors who identify as women are expected to be in modest dress, including a head covering and loose-fitting garments that cover from the neck to the ankle.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for holy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy
Adjective
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And yet something about her pious active listening face really gets to Urs.Caroline Framke, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
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Paxton, pious to the end, responds by talking about the Great Prayer Experiment, a (very real) series of studies that sought to test whether prayer has any tangible healing impact — and conclusively found there to be not.Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The program will consist primarily of sacred compositions by Benjamin Britten, Antonio Vivaldi, Edwin Fissinger and Caroline Shaw, in contemporary arrangements with lyrics in French, Latin, German and English.Eric E. Harrison, arkansasonline.com, 7 Dec. 2024
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The allure of the Lady Dior line continues with the recent ninth edition of the Dior Lady Art Project, where artists crafted iterations that explored nature, ancestral traditions and sacred symbols — bringing storytelling and design together.Alfredo Mineo, WWD, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Which at the very least will hopefully cause people to rethink the market prices that economists rely on to allegedly divine whether or not there’s inflation.John Tamny, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
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Everyone's buzzing about Osteria Mozza, Nancy Silverton and Stephen Starr's Georgetown hotspot where divine foccacia and sumptuous pastas are worth the waitlist (plus, brunch just started with Silverton's crave-able pizzas).Anna Spiegel, Axios, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Nonetheless, the schools that close overwhelmingly tend to be very small, caught in mismanagement or legal trouble, and/or religious.Derek Newton, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
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World & Nation Rebels seize Damascus; Assad reported to have fled Syria for Moscow Dec. 8, 2024 Syria is home to multiple ethnic and religious communities, often pitted against each other by Assad’s state and years of war.Sarah el Deeb and Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Over the course of AI Jesus’ two-month run, more than 900 church visitors interacted with the heavenly hologram.Leslie Katz, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
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There's this heavenly arrival and a promise of paradise for immigrants.Russell Contreras, Axios, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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My best friend fell in love with a devout Catholic.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024
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Hamoudi’s sister is a devout Muslim and a supporter of Hezbollah.Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Although Helene has exacerbated community concerns in households up and down Junaluska Road, many feel blessed that they were spared.Ella Adams, USA TODAY, 24 Nov. 2024
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The sidewalks will approximately double in width, with another band of space given over to tree pits, supplying a blessed bit of shade.Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2024
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Terry was among the most reverent of Fowler over the weekend.Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 17 Dec. 2024
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But while the performer known as V was, to the world, one of seven young men at the helm of the year’s most polished, cutting-edge wave of contemporary pop dominance, the artist who grew up Kim Tae-hyung was, in his personal life, a reverent fan of a much different genre: jazz.Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Holy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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