adj., -li·er, -li·est.

1. Belonging to, derived from, or associated with a divine power; sacred.
2. Regarded with or worthy of worship or veneration; revered: a holy book.
3. Living according to a strict or highly moral religious or spiritual system; saintly: a holy person.
4. Specified or set apart for a religious purpose: a holy place.
5. Solemnly undertaken; sacrosanct: a holy pledge.
6. Regarded as deserving special respect or reverence: The pursuit of peace is our holiest quest.
7. Informal. Used as an intensive: raised holy hell over the mischief their children did.

[Middle English holi, from Old English hālig.]

holily ho'li·ly adv.
holiness ho'li·ness n.

adjective

1. Of, from, like, or being a god or God: deific, divine, godlike, godly, heavenly. See religion.
2. In the service or worship of God or a god: divine, religious, sacred. See religion.
3. Regarded with particular reverence or respect: blessed, hallowed, sacred, sacrosanct. See religion, respect/contempt/standing.
4. Deeply concerned with God and the beliefs and practice of religion: devotional, devout, godly, pietistic, pietistical, pious, prayerful, religious, saintly. See religion.

adj

Definition: religious, sacred
Antonyms: depraved, evil, immoral, irreligious, irreverent, sacrilegious, sinful, unholy, unsacred, vile, wicked

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IN BRIEF: Respected as sacred or divine.

Friendship, of itself a holy tie, Is made more sacred by adversity. — Charles Colton (c.1780-1832)

Tutor's tip: Note: Something "holey: contains holes. "Holly" is a plant with bright red berries. To be "holy" is to be religious. "Wholly" means altogether.

Common misspelling(s) of holy

• wholy

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - hellig
n. - helligdom

idioms:

• Holy Communion    altergang, den hellige nadver
• Holy Father    paven
• Holy Ghost    helligånden
• Holy Grail    den hellige gral
• holy of holies    det allerhelligste
• holy orders    gejstlighed, præstevielse, præstekald
• Holy See    paveembedet, pavestolen
• Holy Spirit    helligånden
• holy water    vievand
• Holy Week    påskeugen
• holy writ    biblen, hellige skrifter, den hellige skrift

Nederlands (Dutch)
heilig

Français (French)
adj. - saint, béni
n. - (Relig) édifice consacré au culte, sanctuaire, édifice, temple

idioms:

• Holy Communion    Sainte communion
• Holy Father    Saint-Père
• Holy Ghost    Saint-Esprit
• Holy Grail    Saint-Graal
• holy of holies    (Relig, fig) Le Saint des Saints
• holy orders    ordres
• Holy See    Saint-Siège
• Holy Spirit    Saint-Esprit
• holy water    Eau bénite
• Holy Week    Semaine sainte
• holy writ    Saintes écritures

Deutsch (German)
adj. - heilig, fromm
n. - Heiligtum, heiliger Ort, Andachtsstätte

idioms:

• Holy Communion    die heilige Kommunion, das heilige Abendmahl
• Holy Father    Heiliger Vater
• Holy Ghost    Heiliger Geist
• Holy Grail    Heiliger Gral
• holy of holies    Allerheiligstes
• holy orders    Priesterweihe
• Holy See    der Heilige Stuhl
• Holy Spirit    Heiliger Geist
• holy water    Weihwasser
• Holy Week    Karwoche
• holy writ    Heilige Schrift

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - ιερός, άγιος, όσιος, σεπτός, θεϊκός
n. - τα άγια των αγίων

idioms:

• Holy Communion    (θρησκ.) Θεία Μετάληψη
• Holy Father    ο 'Αγιος Πατήρ, ο Πάπας
• Holy Ghost    το 'Αγιο Πνεύμα
• Holy Grail    'Αγιο Δισκοπότηρο, γκράαλ, το ποτήρι του Μυστικού Δείπνου
• holy of holies    τα άγια των Αγίων, άδυτο
• holy orders    (θρησκ.) ιεροσύνη
• Holy See    η Αγία Εδρα
• Holy Spirit    το 'Αγιο Πνεύμα
• holy water    (θρησκ.) αγιασμός, αγίασμα
• Holy Week    η Μεγάλη Εβδομάδα
• holy writ    Αγία Γραφή

Italiano (Italian)
santo

idioms:

• Holy Communion    santa comunione
• Holy Father    Santo Padre
• Holy Ghost/Spirit    spirito santo
• Holy Grail    sacro graal
• holy of holies    santo dei santi
• holy orders    ordini sacri
• Holy See    Santa Sede
• holy water    acqua santa
• Holy Week    settimana santa
• holy writ    sacra scrittura

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - santo, sacro
n. pl. - santíssimo (m)

idioms:

• Holy Communion    Santa Comunhão (f) (Rel.)
• Holy Father    Santo Padre (m) (Papa) (Rel.)
• Holy Ghost/Spirit    Espírito (m) Santo (Rel.)
• Holy Grail    Santo Graal (m)
• holy of holies    parte (f) interna do tabernáculo judeu
• holy orders    santas ordens (f pl)
• Holy See    Santa Sé (f)
• holy water    água (f) benta (Rel.)
• Holy Week    Semana (f) Santa (Rel.)
• holy writ    Santa Escritura (f) (Rel.)

Русский (Russian)
святой, священный, праведный, чрезвычайный

idioms:

• Holy Communion    Святое причастие
• Holy Father    Святой Отец
• Holy Ghost/Spirit    Святой дух
• Holy Grail    чаша Грааля
• holy of holies    святая святых
• holy orders    посвящение в духовный сан
• Holy See    святейший престол, Ватикан
• holy water    святая вода
• Holy Week    Страстная неделя
• holy writ    священное писание

Español (Spanish)
adj. - sagrado, santo
n. - lugar sagrado, santuario

idioms:

• Holy Communion    Sagrada Comunión
• Holy Father    Santo Padre
• Holy Ghost    Espíritu Santo
• Holy Grail    Santo Grial
• holy of holies    sanctasanctórum
• holy orders    órdenes sagradas, orden sacerdotal
• Holy See    Santa Sede
• Holy Spirit    Espíritu Santo
• holy water    agua bendita
• Holy Week    Semana Santa
• holy writ    Sagrada Escritura

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - helig, from
n. - helig ort

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
神圣的, 至善的, 圣洁的

idioms:

• Holy Communion    圣餐礼
• Holy Father    教皇
• Holy Ghost    圣灵
• Holy Grail    圣杯或圣盘
• holy of holies    最神圣的地方
• holy orders    圣职, 牧师任命仪式
• Holy See    教皇之地位或权力, 罗马教廷
• Holy Spirit    圣灵
• holy water    圣水
• Holy Week    复活节前的一周
• holy writ    圣经, 至高无上的权威著作, 真言

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 神聖的, 至善的, 聖潔的

idioms:

• Holy Communion    聖餐禮
• Holy Father    教皇
• Holy Ghost    聖靈
• Holy Grail    聖杯或聖盤
• holy of holies    最神聖的地方
• holy orders    聖職, 牧師任命儀式
• Holy See    教皇之地位或權力, 羅馬教廷
• Holy Spirit    聖靈
• holy water    聖水
• Holy Week    復活節前的一周
• holy writ    聖經, 至高無上的權威著作, 真言

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 신성한, 경건한, 대단한
n. - 신성한 것, 신성한 곳

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 神聖な, 信心深い
n. - 神聖なもの, 神聖な場所

idioms:

• Holy Communion    聖体拝領, 聖餐式
• Holy Father    霊父
• Holy Ghost/Spirit    聖霊
• Holy Grail    聖杯
• holy of holies    至聖所, 最も神聖な場所
• holy orders    上級聖職, 叙階式
• Holy See    聖座, 教皇庁, 教皇法廷
• holy water    聖水
• Holy Week    聖週
• holy writ    聖書

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) مقدس, , تقي أو واقف نفسه لخدة الله والدين, ديني, رهيب أو لا يصدق, مفعم بقوة خفيه أو خارقه مهلكه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮קדוש‬

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Holy Bible	holy night
holy cross	holy ship