holy
gb/hˈoʊli/ us/hˈoʊli/
A2
English
~ 2700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
Related to God or religion
Related to God or religion; very special in a religious way.
Usage pattern:
[holy] [place/object/person]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'holy' with 'wholly', which means 'completely'.
Synonyms
sacred (More formal and used in both religious and non-religious contexts for things deserving deep respect.)
Antonyms
profane (Describes things that show disrespect for God or religion.)
Collocations
holy book
|holy place
|holy man
|holy city
|holy day
Themes
religion
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The Quran is the holy book of Islam.
- Jerusalem is considered a holy city by several religions.
- They visited a holy shrine during their trip to India.
- The priest blessed the holy water before the ceremony.
- Sunday is a holy day for many Christians.
Learner examples
- The Bible is a holy book.
- Mecca is a holy city for Muslims.
- We went to a holy place.
- She read from a holy text.
- This is a holy day for our religion.
adjective
B1
property
2
Morally good or pure
Very good and pure in a moral way.
Usage pattern:
[holy] [person/life/action]
Synonyms
saintly (Often used for people who are exceptionally virtuous, sometimes outside a religious context.)
Antonyms
sinful (Describes actions or people that are morally wrong or evil.)
Collocations
holy life
|holy person
|holy example
Themes
morality
|religion
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She lived a holy life devoted to helping others.
- The monk was considered a holy man by the villagers.
- He tried to follow a holy path of kindness and honesty.
Learner examples
- She lives a holy life.
- The man is very holy.
- He does holy things to help people.
adjective
informal
B1
property
3
Used for strong emphasis
Used to show strong surprise, fear, or another feeling in informal speech.
Usage pattern:
[holy] [noun/phrase] (exclamation)
Common mistake:
Learners may mistakenly use this form in formal writing where it sounds inappropriate.
Synonyms
wow (An interjection expressing surprise, though less colorful or emphatic than 'holy' expressions.)
Collocations
holy cow
|holy crap
|holy moly
Themes
emotions
|communication
|daily_life
Examples
- Holy cow! I didn't see that coming.
- Holy smoke! The car almost hit us.
- Holy moly, that's a big cake!
Learner examples
- Holy cow! That is big.
- Holy moly! You are fast.
- Holy smoke! We are late.
Grammar
Dictionary form
holy
IPA
GB/hˈoʊli/
US/hˈoʊli/
Syllables & stress
holy (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (holy)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: holy
- Comparative: holier
- Superlative: holiest
Word family
Forms
holier
adjective
holiest
adjective
Core family
holiness
noun C1
Negative and opposite forms
unholy
adjective
unholiness
noun
Advanced or less common
holily
adverb
Expressions
Holy Grail
1/hˈoʊli ɡɹˈeɪl/
fixed phrase
Ultimate desired object or goal
Something that people want very much and try hard to get or achieve.
Examples
- For many scientists, finding a cure for cancer is the Holy Grail.
- The championship trophy became the team’s Holy Grail.
holy moly
1/hˈoʊli mˈoʊli/
idiom
informal
Exclamation of surprise or excitement
You say this when you are very surprised or excited.
Examples
- Holy moly! That’s an incredible score.
- Holy moly, you got the job!
holy smoke
1/hˈoʊli smˈoʊk/
idiom
informal
Exclamation of astonishment or alarm
You say this when something amazing or frightening happens suddenly.
Examples
- Holy smoke! Look at that tornado.
- Holy smoke, we almost missed the train!
holy cow
1/hˈoʊli kˈaʊ/
idiom
informal
Exclamation of surprise or shock
You say this when you are very surprised or shocked.
Examples
- Holy cow! That’s the biggest pizza I’ve ever seen.
- Holy cow, that’s the biggest pizza I’ve ever seen!
- Holy cow, I didn’t expect you here!
- Holy cow, I didn’t expect you to arrive so early.
- "Holy cow!" she shouted when she saw the exam results.