saintly

adjective

saint·​ly ˈsānt-lē How to pronounce saintly (audio)
saintlier; saintliest
: relating to, resembling, or befitting a saint : holy
saintliness noun

Examples of saintly in a Sentence

a saintly man who devoted his life to caring for the dying
Recent Examples on the Web Older Rita is still self-possessed but, as written, there’s a distance that smooths the edges, turns her into a saintly figure and saps the character of the charge that keeps someone married for decades. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024 Many of these are of a morbid cast, relics in the saintly sense. Brett Martin, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023 These women are not just queens and princesses, but also vestal virgins and whores, traitors and patriots, saintly martyrs, savvy businesswomen, informers, poets, and rebels. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Nov. 2023 Otherwise, this absorbing if uneven historical fantasy about Martin Luther King Jr.’s final night is at its best when rooted in reality — reveling in a saintly figure’s unguarded moments and uncomfortable foibles. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2023 The chocolate almond torte has never again graced our Christmas Eve table, but my mom's on-the-fly ice cream sandwich cake—and the recounting of my saintly grandmother's thoughtful gesture—make an appearance every single year. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2023 This is a blended family with two saintly parents (Zach Braff as Paul and Gabrielle Union as Zoey) running a diner where most of the kids work. Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2022 His expansive collection of ominous, preposterous and saintly characters twirls like loose sticks in a river, guided by a physics of chaos beyond all calculation except awe. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2023 While Buddhism is not legally defined as the country’s official religion, Thai authorities have repeatedly targeted films and TV shows that depict monks in anything but saintly behavior. Patrick Frater, Variety, 10 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saintly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saintly was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near saintly

Cite this Entry

“Saintly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saintly. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

saintly

adjective
saint·​ly ˈsānt-lē How to pronounce saintly (audio)
saintlier; saintliest
: relating to, resembling, or proper for a saint : holy
saintliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on saintly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!