adj. 1
Morally perfect or flawless, or nearly so.
My grandmother is a very holy woman.
adj. 2
Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).
adj. 3
Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
adj. 4
Used as an intensifier in various interjections.
Those children next door are holy terrors!

Related words

Word family: holier-than-thou holiday holiness
Phrases: holy cow holy shit holy smoke holy water sprinkler holy kamoley holy cannoli holy crap holy day

From weakest to strongest

From the opposite of holy, on the left, to its strongest synonyms, on the right.

Choose the right word

Holy or Sacred?

Sacred is applied to that which is to be regarded as inviolable on any account, and so is not restricted to divine things; therefore in its lower applications it is less than holy.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

sacred The national sovereignty is sacred and inviolable.
divine His pneumonia was cured through a divine miracle.
hallowed Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.
sanctified May His great name be magnified and sanctified.
righteous A good Muslim strives to be good and righteous.
faultless A faultless plan is stifling, isn't it?

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
holy		rising
sacred		rising
divine		rising
hallowed		rising
sanctified		rising
righteous		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: good¹, pure¹
5 letters: pious², godly², pyore
6 letters: sacred², divine², devout²
7 letters: special², perfect², blessed¹, devoted³, saintly², sainted², sacrate
8 letters: reserved², heavenly³, flawless², hallowed², infernal³, seraphic
9 letters: religious³, spiritual⁴, righteous², celestial³, faultless, saintlike
10 letters: immaculate⁴, sanctified, sacrosanct³, inviolable⁵

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (pious² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: saint
Español: san
Català: sant