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Upright vs Holy - What's the difference?

upright | holy | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between upright and holy

is that upright is vertical; erect while holy is dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.

As nouns the difference between upright and holy

is that upright is any vertical part of a structure, especially one of the goal posts in sports while holy is a thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in {{term|Holy of Holies}}.

As an adverb upright

is in or into an upright position.

upright

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Vertical; erect.
    • I was standing upright , waiting for my orders.
  • * 1608 , William Shakespeare, The merry Deuill of Edmonton , introduction, lines 1–4
    • Fab''[''ell'']'': ?What meanes the tolling of this fatall chime, // O what a trembling horror ?trikes my hart! // My ?tiffned haire ?tands vpright on my head, // As doe the bri?tles of a porcupine.
  • * 1782 , Fanny Burney, Cecilia; or, Memoirs of an Heiress , volume V, Book X, chapter X: “A Termination”, page 372
    • Supported by pillows, ?he ?at almo?t upright .
  • *
  • Greater in height than breadth.
  • (figuratively) Of good morals; practicing ethical values.

    • Synonyms

    *

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • in or into an upright position

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any vertical part of a structure, especially one of the goal posts in sports.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 5 , author=Mark Ashenden , title=Wolverhampton 1 - 0 Chelsea , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Chelsea improved, with Salomon Kalou denied by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and Didier Drogba hitting the upright .}}
  • A word clued by the successive initial, middle, or final letters of the cross-lights in a double acrostic or triple acrostic.
  • (informal) An upright piano.

    • Holonyms

    * (word clued by successive letters) double acrostic, triple acrostic

    Related terms

    * upright piano

    holy

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.
    • I'm planning to visit the holy city of Mecca this Ramadan.
  • Revered in a religion.
  • Perfect or flawless.
  • Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).
  • Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
  • (slang) Used as an intensifier in various interjections.
    • Holy cow, I can’t believe he actually lost the race!

    Synonyms

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

    Antonyms

    * (dedicated to a religious purpose or a god) * (revered in a religion) profane, secular, unholy, worldly * damaged, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect * (separated or set apart from something) * (set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose) common

    Derived terms

    * holiest of holies * holiness * holy cats * holy cow * holy crap * Holy Ghost * Holy Grail * Holy of Holies * holy mackerel * holy moly, holy moley * holy Moses * holy mother of God * Holy See * holy shit * holy smoke * holy snakes * Holy Spirit * holy Toledo * Holy Trinity * holy war * holy water * Holy Week

    Noun

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

    Derived terms

    * holiest of holies * Holy of Holies