adj
holy
HOH-lee
adj
1
Regarded as sacred or dedicated to a god or religious purpose.
"Pilgrims travel long distances to visit the holy city."
"They treated the relic as a holy object."
2
Morally pure or without sin.
"The monk lived a holy life devoted to prayer and service."
intj
1
Used at the start of an exclamation to express shock or surprise.
""Holy cow, did you see that catch?""
How to Use Holy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSacred, connected to God or religion — or, in casual speech, just a way to express surprise ("holy smokes!").
Common pairings
holy water
holy day
holy ground
holy cow
Word Forms
holier comparative, holies plural, holiest superlative
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Pilgrims travel long distances to visit the _____ city.
Etymology
From Old English hālig, related to hāl ("whole, healthy") — the same root that gives us the word "whole."