/hoh"lee/ , adj., holier, holiest , n. , pl. holies .
adj.
1. specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated: holy ground.
2. dedicated or devoted to the service of God, the church, or religion: a holy man.
3. saintly; godly; pious; devout: a holy life.
4. having a spiritually pure quality: a holy love.
5. entitled to worship or veneration as or as if sacred: a holy relic.
6. religious: holy rites.
7. inspiring fear, awe, or grave distress: The director, when angry, is a holy terror.
n.
8. a place of worship; sacred place; sanctuary.
[ bef. 900; ME holi, OE halig, var. of HALEG, equiv. to hal WHOLE + -eg -Y 1 ; c. D, G heilig, ON heilagr ]
Syn. 1. blessed. HOLY, SACRED, CONSECRATED, HALLOWED imply possession of a sanctity that is the object of religious veneration. HOLY refers to the divine, that which has its sanctity directly from God or is connected with Him: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Something that is SACRED, while sometimes accepted as entitled to religious veneration, may have its sanctity from human authority: a sacred oath. Something that is CONSECRATED is specially or formally dedicated to some religious use: a life consecrated to service. Something that is HALLOWED has been made holy by being worshiped: a hallowed shrine. 4. spiritual.
Ant. 3, 4. corrupt, impious.