holy
Related to God or religion; very special in a religious way.
Connected to God, a deity, or religious worship; considered sacred.
Very good and pure in a moral way.
Morally perfect, virtuous, or free from sin.
Used to show strong surprise, fear, or another feeling in informal speech.
Used in informal speech to express surprise, fear, anger, or other strong emotions, often in exclamations.
- Base: holy
- Comparative: holier
- Superlative: holiest
Holy Grail
1Ultimate desired object or goal
Something that people want very much and try hard to get or achieve.
- For many scientists, finding a cure for cancer is the Holy Grail.
- The championship trophy became the team’s Holy Grail.
holy moly
1Exclamation of surprise or excitement
You say this when you are very surprised or excited.
- Holy moly! That’s an incredible score.
- Holy moly, you got the job!
holy smoke
1Exclamation of astonishment or alarm
You say this when something amazing or frightening happens suddenly.
- Holy smoke! Look at that tornado.
- Holy smoke, we almost missed the train!
holy cow
1Exclamation of surprise or shock
You say this when you are very surprised or shocked.
- 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.