unholy
adjectiveattested in dialogue
- //ʌnˈhəʊli//
Not holy; (by extension) evil, impure, or otherwise perverted.
adjective
- 1
Not holy; (by extension) evil, impure, or otherwise perverted.
The priest's unholy behaviour brought the church into disrepute.
Essentially, the problem dates back to pre-privatisation, cost-driven British Rail practices which featured an unholy pact between management and unions, whereby management was able to employ fewer drivers and limited pension cost liabilities, while drivers were able to hoover up lots of lucrative Sunday overtime.
“Florida has struck an unholy bargain with the Trump administration,” one speaker said. “People are not getting food, hygiene, or medical care. These conditions are substandard and cause irreparable harm.”
- 2
Dreadful, terrible, excessive, or otherwise atrocious.
What an unholy mess your room is in!
I've been spending an unholy amount of time trying to write a novel!
Etymology
From Middle English unholi, unhaliȝ, from Old English unhāliġ, from Proto-Germanic *unhailagaz, equivalent to un- + holy. Cognate with Scots unhaly, Dutch onheilig, German Low German unhillig, German unheilig, Danish uhellig, Swedish ohelig.
Forms
- comparative
- unholier, more unholy
- superlative
- unholiest, most unholy
unholy · Not holy; (by extension) evil, impure, or otherwise perverted.
uni · Sea urchin eaten as sushi.Uni · A detached object with one known moon, Tinia.UNI · The station code of University in Hong Kong.