holy
//ˈhəʊli//
Forms
- Comparative
- holier
- Superlative
- holiest
Definitions
1.Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.
- I'm planning to visit the holy city of Jerusalem this Christmas.
- “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.
2.Revered in a religion.
- This tree is considered holy in my culture.
3.Morally perfect or flawless, or nearly so.
- My grandmother is a very holy woman.
4.Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).
1.An expression of astonishment and awe.(slang)
Frequency
Overall
Common· #1948
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Uncommon
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
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.