holy

• holie, hooly (archaic)
• Holy (when referring to someone or something important)
• 'oly (pronunciation spelling)

Inherited from Middle English holi, hali, from Old English hāliġ, hāleġ (“holy, consecrated, sacred, venerated, godly, saintly, ecclesiastical, pacific, tame”), from Proto-West Germanic *hailag, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz (“holy, bringing health”), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“healthy, whole”), from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos (“healthy, whole”), equivalent to whole +‎ -y and a doublet of later wholly.

Cognate with Scots haly (“holy”), West Frisian hillich (“holy”), Low German hillig (“holy”), Dutch heilig (“holy”), German heilig (“holy”), Danish hellig (“holy”), Swedish helig (“holy”). More at whole.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhəʊli/
• (US) enPR: hōʹlē, IPA^(key): /ˈhoʊli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊli
• Homophones: wholly, holey (in accents without the wholly-holy split)

holy (comparative holier, superlative holiest)

1. Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.

   I'm planning to visit the holy city of Jerusalem this Christmas.

2. Revered in a religion.

   This tree is considered holy in my culture.

3. Morally perfect or flawless, or nearly so.

   My grandmother is a very holy woman.

4. Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else). (Can we add an example for this sense?)
5. Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
6. (slang) Used as an intensifier in various interjections.

   Holy cow, I can’t believe he actually lost the race!

   Those children next door are holy terrors!

• (dedicated to a religious purpose or a god): sacred, godly
• (revered in a religion): sacred, godly
• (perfect, flawless): faultless, flawless, perfect
• (separated or set apart from something): sanctified
• (set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose): reserved, special

• (antonym(s) of “revered in a religion”): profane, secular, unholy, worldly
• (antonym(s) of “perfect, flawless”): damaged, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect
• (antonym(s) of “set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose”): common

• hallow
• hallowed

holy

1. (slang) An expression of astonishment and awe.

   Synonym: holy shit

• (MTE) When spoken aloud, the first syllable is elongated ("Hoooly!") and stress is placed on the second syllable.

holy (plural holies)

1. (archaic) A thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in Holy of Holies.
   • 1882, Franz von Reber, Joseph Thacher Clarke, History of Ancient Art, page 146:

     The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets; they bore a second curtain of four colors.

• holiest of holies
• Holy of Holies

• hylo-

Inherited from Old English hāliġ, from Proto-West Germanic *hailag, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz; equivalent to hool +‎ -y.

• hooly, holi, hooli, holye, holie, holly, hoolly, holli, hoolli, oly, oli, wholy, woly, hole, hali, haly, hayly, aly, ali, hale, hely, heli, holiȝ, holiȝe, holia, halge, halege, halȝe, hallȝhe, haliȝ, haliȝe, halie

holy (plural and weak singular holye, comparative holyere, superlative holyest)

1. Dedicated to or separated for a religious purpose; sacred, consecrated.
2. Characterized by virtue or perfection.
   • 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, page 37:

     […] of moost holi lyuynge, and best taught and moost wyse of heuenly wysdom […]

     of the most holy living, and the best-taught and wisest heavenly wisdom

• English: holy
• Scots: haly, halie
• Yola: holly, holy

holy (plural holies)

1. The state of being holy; holiness.
2. One who is sanctified or made holy; a saint, hallow
3. A sacred place; a sanctuary

• alle goddis holy
• holy of holies

• English: holy

• “holi, adj.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 4 August 2018.
• “holi, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 4 August 2018.

From hol +‎ -y.

• holi, holly, holli

holy

1. Full of holes or cavities; porous, spongy; hollow.

• holinesse

• English: holey

• “holi, adj.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 4 August 2018.

holy

1. Alternative form of holly
   • 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 6, page 96:

     To our pleoughès an mulk-pylès till a neeshte holy die.

     To our ploughs and our milk-pails till the next holiday.

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 96