holy
pronunciation
How to pronounce holy in British English:
UK [ˈhəʊli]
How to pronounce holy in American English:
US [ˈhoʊli]
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- Noun:
- a sacred place of pilgrimage
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- Adjective:
- belonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power
Word Origin
- holy
- holy: [OE] Holy originated as a derivative of the prehistoric Germanic adjective which produced modern English whole, and so its etymological meaning is perhaps ‘unimpaired, inviolate’. This ancestral form was *khailagaz, which diversified into German and Dutch heilig, Swedish helig, and Danish hellig as well as English holy. Hallow is essentially the same word, and compounds with holy as a now hidden component include hollyhock [13] as well as holiday.=> hallow, holiday
- holy (adj.)
- Old English halig "holy, consecrated, sacred, godly," from Proto-Germanic *hailaga- (cognates: Old Norse heilagr, Old Frisian helich "holy," Old Saxon helag, Middle Dutch helich, Old High German heilag, German heilig, Gothic hailags "holy"). Adopted at conversion for Latin sanctus. Primary (pre-Christian) meaning is not possible to determine, but probably it was "that must be preserved whole or intact, that cannot be transgressed or violated," and connected with Old English hal (see health) and Old High German heil "health, happiness, good luck" (source of the German salutation Heil). Holy water was in Old English. Holy has been used as an intensifying word from 1837; used in expletives since 1880s (such as holy smoke, 1883, holy mackerel, 1876, holy cow, 1914, holy moly etc.), most of them euphemisms for holy Christ or holy Moses.
Antonym
Example
- 1. The social democrats despised everything he held holy .
- 2. Notice jesus talks about god 's name being holy .
- 3. Up in heaven is the holy god .
- 4. They were a holy lot , with the emphasis on hellfire and damnation .
- 5. With people dying every day , even during the fasting month of ramadan in august and the festival of eid al-fitr at the end , holy days no longer seem so holy .