Word
holy
US/ˈhoʊɫi/
UK/hˈəʊli/
Definitions
01religious
B1 · Intermediate Religion
adj. connected to a god or a religion and deserving great respect.
adj. dedicated to a religious purpose or deity; regarded with deep veneration within a faith tradition.
“The Ganges is considered a holy river by millions of people.”
“The pilgrims traveled for weeks to reach the holy site, hoping to find spiritual peace within its ancient walls.”
02morally perfect
B2 · Upper Intermediate Religion
adj. living a life that is morally perfect and without sin.
adj. characterized by moral perfection or spiritual purity.
“She was remembered as a holy woman who spent her life helping the poor.”
“The biography depicts the monk not just as a scholar, but as a truly holy man whose kindness influenced the entire community.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “holy” in context.
Verb
01. consider the ground holy
“The local tribes consider the ground holy and do not allow any construction there.”
verb + noun + adj
02. visit a holy site
“Thousands of pilgrims travel across the country to visit the holy site every year.”
verb + adj + noun
Adjective
03. holy book
“The priest read a passage from the holy book during the morning service.”
adj + noun
04. holy place
“Visitors are asked to remain quiet and dress modestly when entering this holy place.”
adj + noun
05. holy water
“The priest sprinkled holy water on the congregation as a sign of blessing.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. holy spirit
“Many Christians believe in the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their daily lives.”
adj + noun
07. holy war
“History books often describe the Crusades as a series of holy wars.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“In 1976 he told students at Connecticut College that language and literature were “holy” to him.” “He is understood to have been leading 11 Britons on a tour that was due to visit Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, two Hindu holy sites in Tibet.” “In my view, however, it is time to bring the truth into the open, including the truth about the Holy Book itself.” Etymology
Inherited from Middle English holi, hali, from Old English hāliġ, hāleġ (“holy, consecrated, sacred, venerated, godly, saintly, ecclesiastical, pacific, tame”), from Proto-West Germanic hailag, from Proto-Germanic hailagaz (“holy, bringing health”), from Proto-Germanic hailaz (“healthy, whole”), from Proto-Indo-European kéh₂ilos (“healthy, whole”), equivalent to whole + -y and a doublet of later wholly. Cognate with Scots haly (“holy”), West Frisian hillich (“holy”), Low German hillig (“holy”), Dutch heilig (“holy”), German heilig (“holy”), Danish hellig (“holy”), Swedish helig (“holy”). More at whole.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
01. holy buckets
02. holy catfish
03. holy cow
04. holy crap
06. holy crickets
07. holy crud
08. holy doodle
09. holy fuck
10. holy macaroni
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/holy