holy
gb/hˈoʊli/ us/hˈoʊli/
A2
Anglais
~ 2700
Sens
0 sens
adjective
A2
property
1
Related to God or religion
Related to God or religion; very special in a religious way.
Schéma d’usage :
[holy] [place/object/person]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'holy' with 'wholly', which means 'completely'.
Synonymes
sacred (More formal and used in both religious and non-religious contexts for things deserving deep respect.)
Antonymes
profane (Describes things that show disrespect for God or religion.)
Collocations
holy book
|holy place
|holy man
|holy city
|holy day
Thèmes
religion
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- 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.
Schéma d’usage :
[holy] [person/life/action]
Synonymes
saintly (Often used for people who are exceptionally virtuous, sometimes outside a religious context.)
Antonymes
sinful (Describes actions or people that are morally wrong or evil.)
Collocations
holy life
|holy person
|holy example
Thèmes
morality
|religion
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- 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.
Schéma d’usage :
[holy] [noun/phrase] (exclamation)
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may mistakenly use this form in formal writing where it sounds inappropriate.
Synonymes
wow (An interjection expressing surprise, though less colorful or emphatic than 'holy' expressions.)
Collocations
holy cow
|holy crap
|holy moly
Thèmes
emotions
|communication
|daily_life
Exemples
- Holy cow! I didn't see that coming.
- Holy smoke! The car almost hit us.
- Holy moly, that's a big cake!
Exemples pédagogiques
- Holy cow! That is big.
- Holy moly! You are fast.
- Holy smoke! We are late.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
holy
API
GB/hˈoʊli/
US/hˈoʊli/
Syllabes et accentuation
holy (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (holy)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: holy
- Comparative: holier
- Superlative: holiest
Famille de mots
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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.