holy

English

Alternative forms

holie, hooly (archaic)
Holy (when referring to someone or something important)
'oly (pronunciation spelling)

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.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhəʊli/
(US) enPR: hōʹlē, IPA^(key): /ˈhoʊli/
Audio (US): (file)
Rhymes: -əʊli
Homophones: wholly, holey (in accents without the wholly-holy split)

Adjective

holy (comparative holier, superlative holiest)

Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.
I'm planning to visit the holy city of Jerusalem this Christmas.
Revered in a religion.
This tree is considered holy in my culture.
Morally perfect or flawless, or nearly so.
My grandmother is a very holy woman.
Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else). (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
(slang) Used as an intensifier in various interjections.
Holy cow, I can’t believe he actually lost the race!

Those children next door are holy terrors!

Synonyms

(dedicated to a religious purpose or a god): sacred, godly
(revered in a religion): sacred, godly
(perfect, flawless): faultless, flawless, perfect
(separated or set apart from something): sanctified
(set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose): reserved, special

Antonyms

(antonym(s) of “revered in a religion”): profane, secular, unholy, worldly
(antonym(s) of “perfect, flawless”): damaged, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect
(antonym(s) of “set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose”): common

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

dedicated to a religious purpose

Aghwan: 𐕌𐕒𐕡𐕟𐕒𐕡𐕙 (muc̣'ur)
Albanian: shenjtë (sq)
Amharic: ቅዱስ (ḳədus)
Arabic: مُقَدَّس m (muqaddas)
Egyptian Arabic: مقدس (muʔaddas)
Armenian: սուրբ (hy) (surb)
Aromanian: sãntu, sãmtu
Azerbaijani: müqəddəs
Bashkir: мөҡәддәс (möqəddəs)
Belarusian: святы́ (svjatý), свяшчэ́нны (svjaščénny)
Bulgarian: свят (bg) (svjat), свеще́н (bg) (sveštén)
Catalan: sagrat (ca), sant (ca)
Chagatai: مقدس
Chinese:
Mandarin: 神聖／神圣 (zh) (shénshèng), 聖／圣 (zh) (shèng)
Cornish: sans
Czech: svatý (cs)
Dalmatian: suant
Danish: hellig
Dutch: heilig (nl), sacraal (nl), gewijd (nl)
Egyptian:

(ḏsr)
Esperanto: sankta
Estonian: püha
Faroese: heilagur, halgur
Finnish: pyhä (fi)
French: saint (fr), sacré (fr)
Friulian: sant
Galician: sacro (gl), sagrado (gl)
Ge'ez: ቅዱስ (ḳədus)
Georgian: წმინდა (c̣minda)
German: heilig (de)
Gothic: 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (weihs)
Greek: άγιος (el) (ágios)
Ancient: ἅγιος (hágios), ἱερός (hierós), ὅσιος (hósios)
Greenlandic: illernartoq
Guaraní: marangatu (gn)
Hebrew: קדוש \ קָדוֹשׁ (he) (kadósh)
Hidatsa: xubáa
Hindi: पवित्र (hi) f (pavitra)
Hungarian: szent (hu)
Hunsrik: heilich
Icelandic: heilagur (is), helgur
Indonesian: kudus (id), keramat (id)
Irish: beannaithe, naofa
Istriot: santo
Italian: sacro (it)
Japanese: 神聖 (ja) (しんせい, shinsei), 聖なる (ja) (せいなる, sei naru)
Kashubian: swiãti
Korean: 거룩한 (ko) (georukhan), 신성한 (ko) (sinseonghan)
Latin: sacer (la)
Latvian: svēts (lv)
Lithuanian: šventas
Luxembourgish: helleg (lb)
Macedonian: свет m (svet)
Malay: suci (ms)
Malayalam: പരിശുദ്ധ (ml) (pariśuddha), വിശുദ്ധ (ml) (viśuddha)
Maori: tapu (mi)
Mari: шнуй (šnuj)
Navajo: diyin
Norman: saint
Norwegian:
Bokmål: hellig (no)

Nynorsk: heilag
Occitan: sant (oc), sacrat (oc)
Old Occitan: sant
Old Church Slavonic: свѧтъ (svętŭ)
Old English: hāliġ, hāleġ
Ottoman Turkish: مقدس (mukaddes), شریف (şerif)
Persian: مقدس (fa) (moqaddas), اسپنتا (espantâ), سپنتا (fa) (sepantâ)
Plautdietsch: heilich
Polish: święty (pl) m
Portuguese: santo (pt), sagrado (pt), sacro (pt)
Rapa Nui: tapu
Romanian: sfânt (ro)
Romansch: sontg, sogn, son, sench, sonch
Russian: свято́й (ru) (svjatój), свяще́нный (ru) (svjaščénnyj)
Sardinian: santu
Scots: haly
Scottish Gaelic: naomh, coisrigte
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: свет

Roman: svet (sh)
Sicilian: santu (scn)
Slovak: svätý
Slovene: svet (sl)
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: swěty
Spanish: santo (es), sagrado (es)
Swedish: helig (sv)
Tatar: мөкаддәс (mökaddäs)
Thai: ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ (th) (sàk sìt)
Tibetan: please add this translation if you can
Turkish: kutsal (tr), mukaddes (tr)
Turkmen: mukaddes
Ugaritic: 𐎖𐎄𐎌 (qdš)
Ukrainian: святи́й (svjatýj), свяще́нний (svjaščénnyj)
Urdu: مقدس (ur) (muqaddas)
Uyghur: مۇقەددەس (muqeddes)
Uzbek: muqaddas (uz)
Venetan: santo
Vietnamese: thánh (vi) (聖), thần thánh (vi)
Welsh: sanctaidd (cy)
Yiddish: הייליק (heylik)
Yup'ik: tanqilria

revered in a religion

Armenian: սուրբ (hy) (surb)
Belarusian: святы́ (svjatý), свяшчэ́нны (svjaščénny)
Bulgarian: свят (bg) (svjat)
Catalan: sant (ca)
Czech: svatý (cs) m, posvátný (cs) m
Dutch: heilig (nl), sacraal (nl)
Faroese: heilagur
Finnish: pyhä (fi)
French: saint (fr), bénit (fr)
German: heilig (de)
Gothic: 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (weihs)
Greek: άγιος (el) (ágios)
Ancient: ἅγιος (hágios)
Greenlandic: iluartoq
Indonesian: keramat (id)
Irish: naofa
Italian: santo (it)
Lakota: wakȟáŋ
Latin: sānctus (la), sacer (la)
Macedonian: свет m (svet)
Malayalam: വിശുദ്ധ (ml) (viśuddha)
Maori: tapu (mi)
Navajo: diyin
Norwegian:
Bokmål: hellig (no)

Nynorsk: heilag
Old Church Slavonic: свѧтъ (svętŭ)
Old English: hāliġ, hāleġ, hālæġ, hǣliġ
Ottoman Turkish: شریف (şerif)
Plautdietsch: heilich
Polish: święty (pl) m
Portuguese: sacro (pt), sagrado (pt) m
Quechua: willka
Romanian: sfânt (ro)
Russian: свято́й (ru) (svjatój), свяще́нный (ru) (svjaščénnyj)
Scots: haly
Scottish Gaelic: naomh
Slovak: svätý
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: swěty
Spanish: santo (es)
Turkish: kutsal (tr)
Ukrainian: святи́й (svjatýj), свяще́нний (svjaščénnyj)
Welsh: sanctaidd (cy)
Yup'ik: tanqilria

flawless

Bulgarian: безупречен (bg) (bezuprečen)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 聖潔／圣洁 (zh) (shèngjié)
Dutch: foutloos (nl), heilig (nl) (in expression: ... huisje), volmaakt (nl), perfect (nl)
Finnish: pyhä (fi)
Indonesian: suci (id)
Italian: immacolato (it)
Portuguese: imaculado (pt)
Russian: свято́й (ru) (svjatój)

separated from or set apart

Catalan: sagrat (ca)
Finnish: pyhitetty (fi)
Rapa Nui: tapu

dedicated for a specific purpose

Armenian: սուրբ (hy) (surb)
Catalan: sagrat (ca)
Dutch: heilig (nl)
Finnish: pyhitetty (fi)
Greek: ιερός (el) (ierós)
Hebrew: קדוש \ קָדוֹשׁ (he) (kadósh)
Latin: sacer (la)
Scottish Gaelic: coisrigte

slang intensifier

Faroese: halga
Finnish: pyhä (fi)
Polish: święty (pl) m
Russian: свято́й (ru) (svjatój), бо́жий (ru) (bóžij)
Turkish: be mübarek

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Afrikaans: ^{(please verify)} heilig (af)
Albanian: ^{(please verify)} shenjtë (sq)
Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} sankta
French: ^{(please verify)} saint (fr) m, ^{(please verify)} sainte (fr) f
German: ^{(please verify)} heilig (de)
Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} szent (hu)
Korean: ^{(please verify)} 신성한 (sinseonghan)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} پیرۆز (pîroz)
Maltese: ^{(please verify)} sagru m, ^{(please verify)} sagra f, ^{(please verify)} sagri pl, ^{(please verify)} mqaddes m, ^{(please verify)} mqaddsa f, ^{(please verify)} mqaddsin pl
Old English: ^{(please verify)} hāliġ
Romanian: ^{(please verify)} sfânt (ro)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ^{(please verify)} свето n

Latin: ^{(please verify)} sveto n
Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} svet (sh)
Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} svet (sh)
Slovene: ^{(please verify)} svet (sl)
Swedish: ^{(please verify)} helig (sv)
Telugu: ^{(please verify)} పవిత్రమైన (te) (pavitramaina), ^{(please verify)} పవిత్ర (pavitra)

Interjection

holy

(slang) An expression of astonishment and awe.
Synonym: holy shit

Usage notes

(MTE) When spoken aloud, the first syllable is elongated ("Hoooly!") and stress is placed on the second syllable.

Noun

holy (plural holies)

(archaic) A thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in Holy of Holies.
- 1882, Franz von Reber, Joseph Thacher Clarke, History of Ancient Art, page 146:
  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.

Derived terms

Translations

holy thing

Finnish: pyhä (fi)
Hebrew: קודש \ קֹדֶשׁ (he) m (kódesh)
Macedonian: светиња f (svetinja), светост f (svetost)
Russian: святы́ня (ru) f (svjatýnja)
Swedish: helgedom (sv) c

Anagrams

hylo-

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English hāliġ, from Proto-West Germanic *hailag, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz; equivalent to hool ‎ -y.

Alternative forms

hooly, holi, hooli, holye, holie, holly, hoolly, holli, hoolli, oly, oli, wholy, woly, hole, hali, haly, hayly, aly, ali, hale, hely, heli, holiȝ, holiȝe, holia, halge, halege, halȝe, hallȝhe, haliȝ, haliȝe, halie

Adjective

holy (plural and weak singular holye, comparative holyere, superlative holyest)

Dedicated to or separated for a religious purpose; sacred, consecrated.
Characterized by virtue or perfection.
- 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, page 37:
  […] of moost holi lyuynge, and best taught and moost wyse of heuenly wysdom […]
  […] of the most holy living, and the best-taught and wisest heavenly wisdom […]

Related terms

Descendants

English: holy
Scots: haly, halie
Yola: holly, holy

Noun

holy (plural holies)

The state of being holy; holiness.
One who is sanctified or made holy; a saint, hallow
A sacred place; a sanctuary

Derived terms

Descendants

English: holy

References

“holi, adj.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 4 August 2018.
“holi, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 4 August 2018.

Etymology 2

From hol ‎ -y.

Alternative forms

holi, holly, holli

Adjective

holy

Full of holes or cavities; porous, spongy; hollow.

Derived terms

holinesse

Descendants

English: holey

References

“holi, adj.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 4 August 2018.

Yola

Adjective

holy

Alternative form of holly
- 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 6, page 96:
  To our pleoughès an mulk-pylès till a neeshte holy die.
  To our ploughs and our milk-pails till the next holiday.

References

Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 96