Meanings
holy1
comparative holier · superlative holiest · alternative archaic holie · alternative archaic hooly · alternative capitalized Holy · alternative pronunciation spelling 'oly
- Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.
I'm planning to visit the holy city of Jerusalem this Christmas.
4 more examples
... where he and Basil read together poems and philosophies, and holier things, or talked low and misopogonistcally of their fellow-student Julian’s bearded boding smile were his happiest days.
1877, E.B. Browning, Some account of the Greek Christian poets, page 147The growing sense that more and more religious Jews are now worshiping openly at the holy site was given support by a report over the weekend on Israel’s Channel 12, which broadcast footage of Jewish prayer sessions and Torah lessons it said were being held there daily.
2021 July 20, Andrew Carey, “A fragile status quo on prayer rights at Jerusalem holy site comes under fresh strain”, in CNN, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2022“Through the Sacraments, God shares his holiness with us so that we, in turn, can make the world holier,” the conference says on its website.
2022 February 14, Chuck Johnston and Steve Almasy, “A pastor baptized people for decades using one wrong word. Now those are all considered invalid”, in CNN, archived from the original on 05 Jan 2025On Tuesday, a month since they were abducted, families of those kidnapped are expected to protest at the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem, the holiest site in Judaism, as well as at the Knesset, over what they say are inadequate efforts to reach a deal with Hamas to release their loved ones.
2023 November 6, Peter Beaumont, Bethan McKernan, “Israeli troops encircle Gaza City and expected to enter in force within 48 hours”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 23 Apr 2025 - Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).
Synonyms: consecrated, hallowed, sanctified, consecrated, divined, hallowed, sacrate, sacred
alternative archaic holie · alternative archaic hooly · alternative capitalized Holy · alternative pronunciation spelling 'oly
plural holies · alternative archaic holie · alternative archaic hooly · alternative capitalized Holy · alternative pronunciation spelling 'oly
- archaicA thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in Holy of Holies.
The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets; they bore a second curtain of four colors.
1882, Franz von Reber, Joseph Thacher Clarke, History of Ancient Art, page 146
Holy2
- Alternative letter-case form of holy used when referring to an important figure, such as God, or to an important item or event.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveMorally perfect or flawless, or nearly so.
adjectiveSeparated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).
adjectiveSet apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
adjectiveUsed as an intensifier in various interjections.
interjectionAn expression of astonishment and awe.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivebelonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*kéh₂ilos“intact, whole; complete; hale, healthy, sound”
- Proto-Germanic*hailaz“healthy; whole”
- Proto-Germanic*hailagaz“holy, sacred”
- Proto-West Germanic*hailag
- Old Englishhāleġ
- Middle Englishali
- Englishholy
From Middle English ali, aly, hale, halege, hali, halȝe, hayly, holi, holia, holie, holiȝ, holy, hooly, oli, oly, wholy, woly, from Old English hāleġ, hāliġ (“holy, sacred; healthy, sound”), from Proto-West Germanic *hailag, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz (“holy, sacred”), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“healthy; whole”), from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos (“intact, whole; complete; hale, healthy, sound”), equivalent to whole + -y and a doublet of later wholly. Cognates Cognate with Scots halie, haly (“holy”), Yola holly, holy (“holy”), Saterland Frisian helig (“holy”), Alemannic German, Dutch, and German heilig (“holy, sacred”), Cimbrian hòolig (“holy”), Luxembourgish helleg (“holy”), Vilamovian haeliḱ, haliky, hȧlikjy, hǡliḱ (“holy”), Yiddish הייליק (heylik, “holy”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål hellig (“holy”), Faroese heilagur (“holy”), Icelandic heilagur, helgur (“holy”), Norwegian Nynorsk heilag, heilag’u (“holy”), Swedish helig (“holy”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌲𐍃 (hailags, “holy”); also Latin cael, caelus, caelum, coelus, coelum (“heaven; sky; climate, weather”), Belarusian цэ́лы (cély, “entire, whole”), Bulgarian цял (cjal, “entire, full, intact, whole; real, regular, veritable”), Czech and Slovak celý (“whole”), Macedonian цел (cel, “entire, whole”), Polish cały (“entire, whole”), Russian це́лый (célyj, “entire, whole”), Serbo-Croatian це̏о, ци̏јел, ци̏о, cȅo, cȉjel, cȉo (“entire, whole”), Slovene cel (“whole”), Ukrainian ці́лий (cílyj, “entire, whole”). More at whole.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἅγιος, ἅγιος
- ἅγιος (hágios)revered in a religion
- ἅγιος (hágios)dedicated to a religious purpose
- ἱερός (hierós)dedicated to a religious purpose
- ὅσιος (hósios)dedicated to a religious purpose
Arabic مُقَدَّس
- مُقَدَّس (muqaddas)dedicated to a religious purpose
Bulgarian свят, безупречен
- свят (svjat)revered in a religion
- безупречен (bezuprečen)flawless
- свят (svjat)dedicated to a religious purpose
- свеще́н (sveštén)dedicated to a religious purpose
Catalan sant, sagrat
- santrevered in a religion
- sagratdedicated for a specific purpose
- sagratdedicated to a religious purpose
- santdedicated to a religious purpose
- sagratseparated from or set apart
Chinese Mandarin 聖潔 /圣洁, 神聖 /神圣
- 聖潔 /圣洁 (shèngjié)flawless
- 神聖 /神圣 (shénshèng)dedicated to a religious purpose
- 聖 /圣 (shèng)dedicated to a religious purpose
Czech svatý, posvátný
- svatýrevered in a religion
- posvátnýrevered in a religion
- svatýdedicated to a religious purpose
Danish hellig
- helligdedicated to a religious purpose
Dutch heilig, sacraal
- heiligrevered in a religion
- sacraalrevered in a religion
- foutloosflawless
- ... huisje)flawless
- volmaaktflawless
- perfectflawless
- heiligdedicated for a specific purpose
- heiligdedicated to a religious purpose
- sacraaldedicated to a religious purpose
- gewijddedicated to a religious purpose
Esperanto sankta
- sanktadedicated to a religious purpose
Estonian püha
- pühadedicated to a religious purpose
Finnish pyhä, pyhä
- pyhärevered in a religion
- pyhäflawless
- pyhitettydedicated for a specific purpose
- pyhäslang intensifier
- pyhädedicated to a religious purpose
- pyhitettyseparated from or set apart
- pyhäholy thing
French saint, bénit
- saintrevered in a religion
- bénitrevered in a religion
- saintdedicated to a religious purpose
- sacrédedicated to a religious purpose
German heilig, heilig
- heiligrevered in a religion
- heiligdedicated to a religious purpose
Greek άγιος, ιερός
- άγιος (ágios)revered in a religion
- ιερός (ierós)dedicated for a specific purpose
- άγιος (ágios)dedicated to a religious purpose
Hebrew קדוש \ קָדוֹשׁ, קדוש \ קָדוֹשׁ
- קדוש \ קָדוֹשׁ (kadósh)dedicated for a specific purpose
- קדוש \ קָדוֹשׁ (kadósh)dedicated to a religious purpose
- קודש \ קֹדֶשׁ (kódesh)holy thing
Hindi पवित्र
- पवित्र (pavitra)dedicated to a religious purpose
Hungarian szent
- szentdedicated to a religious purpose
Icelandic heilagur, helgur
- heilagurdedicated to a religious purpose
- helgurdedicated to a religious purpose
Indonesian keramat, suci
- keramatrevered in a religion
- suciflawless
- kudusdedicated to a religious purpose
- keramatdedicated to a religious purpose
Irish naofa, diaganta
- naofarevered in a religion
- diagantaflawless
- cráifeachflawless
- beannaithededicated to a religious purpose
- naofadedicated to a religious purpose
Italian santo, immacolato
- santorevered in a religion
- immacolatoflawless
- sacrodedicated to a religious purpose
Japanese 神聖, 聖なる
- 神聖 (shinsei)dedicated to a religious purpose
- 聖なる (sei naru)dedicated to a religious purpose
Korean 거룩한, 신성한
- 거룩한 (georukhan)dedicated to a religious purpose
- 신성한 (sinseonghan)dedicated to a religious purpose
Latin sānctus, sacer
- sānctusrevered in a religion
- sacerrevered in a religion
- sacerdedicated for a specific purpose
- sacerdedicated to a religious purpose
Latvian svēts
- svētsdedicated to a religious purpose
Lithuanian šventas
- šventasdedicated to a religious purpose
Malay suci
- sucidedicated to a religious purpose
Māori tapu, tapu
- tapurevered in a religion
- tapudedicated to a religious purpose
Norwegian Bokmål hellig, hellig
- helligrevered in a religion
- helligdedicated to a religious purpose
Persian مقدس, اسپنتا
- مقدس (moqaddas)dedicated to a religious purpose
- اسپنتا (espantâ)dedicated to a religious purpose
- سپنتا (sepantâ)dedicated to a religious purpose
Polish święty, święty
- świętyrevered in a religion
- świętyslang intensifier
- świętydedicated to a religious purpose
Portuguese sacro, sagrado
- sacrorevered in a religion
- sagradorevered in a religion
- imaculadoflawless
- santodedicated to a religious purpose
- sagradodedicated to a religious purpose
- sacrodedicated to a religious purpose
Romanian sfânt, sfânt
- sfântrevered in a religion
- sfântdedicated to a religious purpose
Russian свято́й, свяще́нный
- свято́й (svjatój)revered in a religion
- свяще́нный (svjaščénnyj)revered in a religion
- свято́й (svjatój)flawless
- свято́й (svjatój)slang intensifier
- бо́жий (bóžij)slang intensifier
- свято́й (svjatój)dedicated to a religious purpose
- свяще́нный (svjaščénnyj)dedicated to a religious purpose
- святы́ня (svjatýnja)holy thing
Scottish Gaelic naomh, coisrigte
- naomhrevered in a religion
- coisrigtededicated for a specific purpose
- naomhdedicated to a religious purpose
- coisrigtededicated to a religious purpose
Slovak svätý, svätý
- svätýrevered in a religion
- svätýdedicated to a religious purpose
Spanish santo, santo
- santorevered in a religion
- santodedicated to a religious purpose
- sagradodedicated to a religious purpose
- sacrodedicated to a religious purpose
Swedish helig, helgedom
- heligdedicated to a religious purpose
- helgedomholy thing
Thai ศักดิ์สิทธิ์
- ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ (sàk sìt)dedicated to a religious purpose
Turkish kutsal, be mübarek
- kutsalrevered in a religion
- be mübarekslang intensifier
- kutsaldedicated to a religious purpose
- mukaddesdedicated to a religious purpose
Ukrainian святи́й, свяще́нний
- святи́й (svjatýj)revered in a religion
- свяще́нний (svjaščénnyj)revered in a religion
- святи́й (svjatýj)dedicated to a religious purpose
- свяще́нний (svjaščénnyj)dedicated to a religious purpose
Urdu مقدس
- مقدس (muqaddas)dedicated to a religious purpose
Vietnamese thánh, thần thánh
- thánhdedicated to a religious purpose
- thần thánhdedicated to a religious purpose
Welsh sanctaidd, sanctaidd
- sanctaiddrevered in a religion
- sanctaidddedicated to a religious purpose
Yiddish הייליק
- הייליק (heylik)dedicated to a religious purpose
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with holy
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
holy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holy
“holy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “holy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holy.
Source: holy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.