holy - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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.

holy (comparative holier, superlative holiest)

  1. Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.
    Synonyms: sacred, godly
    I'm planning to visit the holy city of Jerusalem this Christmas.
    • 1877, E.B. Browning, Some account of the Greek Christian poets, page 147:
      ... 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.
    • 2021 July 20, Andrew Carey, “A fragile status quo on prayer rights at Jerusalem holy site comes under fresh strain”, in CNN‎[1], archived from the original on 26 November 2022:
      The 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.
    • 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[2], archived from the original on 5 January 2025:
      “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.
    • 2023 November 6, Peter Beaumont, Bethan McKernan, “Israeli troops encircle Gaza City and expected to enter in force within 48 hours”, in The Guardian‎[3], →ISSN, archived from the original on 23 April 2025:
      On 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.
  2. Revered in a religion.
    Synonyms: sacred, godly; see also Thesaurus:holy
    Antonyms: profane, secular, unholy, worldly
    This tree is considered holy in my culture.
  3. Morally perfect or flawless, or nearly so.
    Synonyms: faultless, flawless, perfect
    Antonyms: damaged, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect
    My grandmother is a very holy woman.
  4. Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else). (Can we add an example for this sense?)
    Synonyms: consecrated, hallowed, sanctified; see also Thesaurus:sanctified
  5. Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
    Synonyms: reserved, special
    Antonym: common
  6. (slang) Used as an intensifier in various interjections.
    Synonyms: blessed, cursed, infernal; see also Thesaurus:damned
    Holy cow, I can’t believe he actually lost the race!
    Those children next door are holy terrors!

dedicated to a religious purpose

revered in a religion

flawless

Translations to be checked

holy

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

holy (plural holies)

  1. (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.

holy thing

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

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

  1. Dedicated to or separated for a religious purpose; sacred, consecrated.
  2. 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 […]

holy (plural holies)

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

From hole +‎ -y.

holy

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

holy

  1. 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.