holy

ho·ly  (hl)

adj. ho·li·er, ho·li·est

1. Belonging to, derived from, or associated with a divine power; sacred.

2. Regarded with or worthy of worship or veneration; revered: a holy book.

3. Living according to a strict or highly moral religious or spiritual system; saintly: a holy person.

4. Specified or set apart for a religious purpose: a holy place.

5. Solemnly undertaken; sacrosanct: a holy pledge.

6. Regarded as deserving special respect or reverence: The pursuit of peace is our holiest quest.

7. Informal Used as an intensive: raised holy hell over the mischief their children did.

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[Middle English holi, from Old English hlig; see kailo- in Indo-European roots.]

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holi·ly adv.

holi·ness n.

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holy [ˈhəʊlɪ]

adj holier, holiest

1. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) of, relating to, or associated with God or a deity; sacred

2. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) endowed or invested with extreme purity or sublimity

3. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) devout, godly, or virtuous

holier-than-thou offensively sanctimonious or self-righteous a holier-than-thou attitude

holy terror

a.  a difficult or frightening person

b.  Irish informal a person who is an active gambler, womanizer, etc.

n pl -lies

(Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms)

a.  a sacred place

b. 

the holy (functioning as plural) persons or things invested with holiness

[Old English hālig, hǣlig; related to Old Saxon hēlag, Gothic hailags, German heilig; see hallow]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	holy - a sacred place of pilgrimage         holy place, sanctum place, spot, topographic point - a point located with respect to surface features of some region; "this is a nice place for a picnic"; "a bright spot on a planet"
Adj.	1.	holy - belonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power consecrate, consecrated, dedicated - solemnly dedicated to or set apart for a high purpose; "a life consecrated to science"; "the consecrated chapel"; "a chapel dedicated to the dead of World War II" sacred - concerned with religion or religious purposes; "sacred texts"; "sacred rites"; "sacred music" unhallowed, unholy - not hallowed or consecrated

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holy

adjective

1. sacred, blessed, hallowed, dedicated, venerable, consecrated, venerated, sacrosanct, sanctified To them, as to all Tibetans, this is a holy place.
sacred unholy, desecrated, unconsecrated, unhallowed, unsanctified

2. devout, godly, religious, pure, divine, faithful, righteous, pious, virtuous, hallowed, saintly, god-fearing The Indians think of him as a holy man.
devout worldly, earthly, evil, corrupt, secular, immoral, wicked, sinful, unholy, blasphemous, sacrilegious, irreligious, impious

Quotations
"Is that which is holy loved by the gods because it is holy, or is it holy because it is loved by the gods?" [Plato Euthyphro]

Translations

holy [ˈhəʊlɪ] (holier (compar) (holiest (superl)))

A. ADJ [place, book] → sagrado, santo; [church, shrine] → sagrado; [person] → santo; [day] → de precepto
the holiest day in the Jewish calendar → el principal día de precepto or la principal fiesta de guardar del calendario judío
holy cow or mackerel or smoke! → ¡(por)Dios bendito!
holy shit! → ¡mierda!
to be a holy terror [child] → ser(más malo que)un demonio

B. CPD the Holy Bible N → la Santa Biblia
the Holy City N → la Ciudad Santa
Holy Communion N → Sagrada Comunión f
the Holy Father N → el Santo Padre
the Holy Ghost N → el Espíritu Santo
the Holy Grail N → el Santo Grial
the Holy Land N → la Tierra Santa
holy man N → santón m
holy matrimony N → santo matrimonio m
holy oil N → santos óleos mpl
holy orders NPL → órdenes fpl sagradas
to be in holy orders → ser sacerdote
to take holy orders → ordenarse sacerdote
the Holy Roman Empire N → el Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico
Holy Saturday N → Sábado m Santo
the Holy See N → la Santa Sede
the Holy Sepulchre N → el Santo Sepulcro
the Holy Spirit N → el Espíritu Santo
the Holy Trinity N → la Santísima Trinidad
holy war N → guerra f santa
holy water N → agua f bendita
Holy Week N → Semana f Santa
Holy Writ (o.f.) N → Sagradas Escrituras fpl
see also Scripture

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holy [ˈhəʊli] adj [place, site, day] → saint(e); [bread, water] → bénit(e); [ground] → sacré(e)
This is a holy place → C'est un lieu saint.
a holy man → un saint homme
a holy war → une guerre sainte
Holy Bible n
the Holy Bible → la sainte Bible
Holy Communion n → sainte communion f
to take Holy Communion → recevoir la sainte communion
Holy Father n → Saint-Père m
Holy Ghost Holy Spirit n → Saint-Esprit m
Holy Grail n

(RELIGION) the Holy Grail → le Saint-Graal

(fig) → Graal m

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holy

adj

(Rel) → heilig; oil, bread, ground → geweiht

holy cow or mackerel! (inf) → (ach du) heiliger Strohsack or Bimbam! (inf); holy smoke! (inf) → großer Gott! (inf); holy shit! (sl) → du liebe Scheiße! (inf); holy terror → Nervensäge f (inf), → Landplage f (hum)

n the Holy of Holies (lit) → das Allerheiligste; (fig) → ein Heiligtum nt

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holy:

Holy Ark

n (Eccl) → Thoraschrein m

Holy Bible

n the holy → die Bibel, die Heilige Schrift

Holy City

n the holy → die Heilige Stadt

Holy Communion

n → die heilige Kommunion, das heilige Abendmahl

Holy Father

n the holy (= the Pope) → der Heilige Vater

Holy Ghost

n = Holy Spirit

Holy Grail

n the holy → der Heilige Gral

Holy Land

n the holy → das Heilige Land

holy orders

pl → Priesterweihe f; to be in holy → dem geistlichen Stand angehören; to take holy → die Priesterweihe empfangen

Holy Roman Empire

n the holy (Hist) → das Heilige Römische Reich

Holy Rood

n → (heiliges) Kruzifix nt

Holy Saturday

n → Karsamstag m

Holy Scripture

n → die Heilige Schrift

Holy See

n the holy → der Heilige Stuhl

Holy Sepulchre

n the holy → das Heilige Grab

Holy Spirit

n the holy → der Heilige Geist

Holy Thursday

n

(in Roman Catholic Church) → Gründonnerstag m

(in Anglican Church) → Himmelfahrtstag m

Holy Trinity

n the holy → die Heilige Dreifaltigkeit or Dreieinigkeit

holy war

n → Heiliger Krieg

holy water

n → heiliges Wasser; (in Catholic Church) → Weihwasser nt

Holy Week

n → Karwoche f

Holy Writ

n (dated) the holy → die Heilige Schrift

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holy [ˈhəʊlɪ]

1. adj (-ier (comp) (-iest (superl))) (gen) → santo/a; (ground, bread) → consacrato/a, benedetto/a; (person) → pio/a; (vow) → religioso/a
the Holy Trinity → la Santissima Trinità
a holy terror (fam) → un demonio

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holy

adj holy [ˈhəuli]

1 (worthy of worship or respect because) associated with God, Jesus, a saint etc; sacred the Holy Bible; holy ground. heilig مُقَدَّس свещен svatý, posvátný hellig heilig ιερός sagrado püha مقدس pyhä saint קָדוֹש पवित्र svet szent suci heilagur sacro 神聖な 신성한 šventas svēts; svētīts suci heilig hellig święty sagrado sfânt священный, святой svätý svet sveti helig ซึ่งศักดิ์สิทธิ์ kutsal, mukaddes 神聖的 священний, святий مقدس thuộc thần thánh; linh thiêng 神圣的

2 good; pure; following the rules of religion a holy life. heilig طاهِر ، تَقي благочестив svatý hellig heilig άγιος, αμόλυντος santo vaga منزه pyhä saint קָדוֹש पवित्र, शुद्ध pobožan jámbor, szent életű saleh heilagur; hreinn í hjarta santo 清らかな 깨끗한 šventas svēts berpegang kepada agama heilig hellig, god bogobojny santo evlavios праведный svätý pobožen sveti gudfruktig, from ที่เคร่งศาสนา temiz 聖潔的，獻身宗教的 безгрішний متبرک trong sạch 献身于宗教的

n holiness

1 the state of being holy. heiligheid قُدْسِيَّه، قَداسَه святост svatost hellighed die Heiligkeit αγιότητα santidad pühadus تقدس pyhyys sainteté קְדוּשָׁה पवित्रता svetost szentség kesucian helgi, heilagleiki santità 神聖さ 신성함 šventumas svētums kesucian heiligheid hellighet świętość santidade sfin­ţenie святость svätosť svetost svetost helighet ความศักดิ์สิทธิ์ kutsallık, mübareklik 神聖 святість تقدس tính chất thiêng liêng 神圣

2 (with capital with His, ~Your etc ) a title of the Pope. Heiligheid قَداسَة البابا преосвещенство svatost Hellighed Seine Heiligkeit η Αυτού Αγιότης Su Santidad Tema Pühadus عنوان يا لقب پاپ Hänen Pyhyytensä Sa/Votre Sainteté הָאָב הַקָדוֹש पोप की पदवी Svetost, naziv za papu őszentsége Yang Mulia heilagleiki Sua Santità 聖下 성하(聖下) šventenybė Viņa/Jūsu Svētība Kudus Heiligheid Hans Hellighet Świątobliwość Sua Santidade Sanctitatea Sa/Voastră святейшество svätosť Njegova/Vaša Svetost Njegova Svetost helighet ความศักดิ์สิทธิ์ Papa Cenapları; Mukaddes Peder 教宗陛下 святість اسقف اعظم کا لقب Đức Giáo Hoàng 教皇陛下

the Holy Father

the Pope. Heilige Vader البابا: الأب المُقَدَّس папата Svatý otec Paven der Heilige Vater Άγιος Πατέρας, ο Πάπας el Santo Padre Püha Isa پاپ paavi le Saint-Père הָאַפִיפיוֹר पोप papa a Szentatya, a Pápa Paus páfinn il Santo Padre ローマ教皇 교황 성하 Šventasis Tėvas Svētais tēvs Bapa Suci de Heilige Vader, paus den hellige far; paven Ojciec Święty Santo Padre Papa его святейшество Svätý otec sveti oče Sveti Otac den helige fadern, påven พระสันตะปาปา Papa 天主教教宗 Папа Римський اسقف اعظم Giáo Hoàng 罗马教皇

n Holy ˈThursday

1 Ascension Day. Hemelvaartdag عيد الصُّعود Възнесение господне Nanebevstoupení Kristi Himmelfartsdag Christi Himmelfahrt ημέρα της Αναλήψεως Día de la Ascensión taevaminemispüha روز صعود عيسي به آسمان kiirastorstai Jeudi saint יוֹם ה' הַקָדוֹש पवित्र गुरूवार Spasovo, Uzašašce áldozócsütörtök Hari Kenaikan Isa Al-Masih Ascensione キリスト昇天祭 예수 승천 축일 Šeštinės Debesbraukšanas diena hari naiknya Jesus ke langit hemelvaartsdag Kristi himmelfartsdag Wielki Czwartek Вознесение Nanebovstúpenie Pána vnebohod Dan uspeća Kristi himmelsfärdsdag Miraç günü, Kutsal Perşembe 耶穌升天節 Вознесіння حضرت عیسی کے آسمان پر اٹھاۓ جانے کا دن lễ Thăng Thiên 耶稣升天节

2 Maundy Thursday. Wit Donderdag, Dag van die Voetwassing الخَميس المُقَدَّس، خَميس الغُسُل Велики четвъртък Zelený čtvrtek Skærtorsdag Gründonnerstag Μεγάλη Πέμπτη Jueves Santo suur neljapäev روز صعود عيسي به آسمان kiirastorstai Jeudi saint יוֹם ה' הַקָדוֹש पुण्य गुरूवार Veliki cetvrtak nagycsütörtök Kamis Putih giovedì santo 聖木曜日 성목요일 Didysis ketvirtadienis Zaļā ceturtdiena Khamis Suci Witte Donderdag skjærtorsdag Wielki Czwartek Великий Четверг Zelený štvrtok veliki četrtek Veliki četvrtak skärtorsdag[] Paskalyadan önceki Perşembe günü 濯足日(受難週的星期四) Чистий Четвер ایسٹر سے قبل کے ہفتے والا خیراتی جمعرات ngày thứ năm trước lễ Phục sinh 濯足星期四(耶酥受难节)

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holy → مقدس svatý hellig heilig άγιος santo pyhä sacré svet santo 神聖な 신성한 heilig hellig święty sagrado святой helig เป็นที่เคารพบูชา kutsal linh thiêng 神圣的