holy shit
169
9.9
- idiom
- /ˈhoʊli ʃɪt/
- Offensive
- I just saw the new roller coaster, and holy shit, it's huge!
- says, "Holy shit"
- Oh, holy shit
- Yeah, holy shit
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Watch on YouTubeHandwriting, I thought, Holy shit, this is the maw.
- Handwriting, I thought, Holy shit, this is the maw.
- And I was like, holy shit, this is real.
- And I'm like, holy shit, that's a that's gunfire.
- I want people to go holy shit that was sick as fuck.
- I think we're gonna do OK. Holy shit. No way.
- The only motivation you have is, holy shit, if I quit, this is life.
- Communication of like, holy shit, we should be thinking about this.
- And I was just like, holy shit, that was Miley Cyrus.
- So we're like, holy shit, the CIA is coming after Danny.
- The spec builder, holy shit, this is incredible, right?
- And the confessions that people submitted, holy shit, they were crazy.
- But yeah, so holy shit, Corona is the Batman.
- And I was like, holy shit, that stuff's fucking real, man.
Examples
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Wow, holy shit, look at that thing.
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I think we're gonna do OK. Holy shit. No way.
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Please excuse the way I look, but holy shit, it's gone down.
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And I was like, holy shit, this is real.
-
But again, the real strength is holy shit, I did this thing.
-
And at that point, I was like, holy shit, I think I get this.
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It was just like, holy shit, it was amazing.
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And the confessions that people submitted, holy shit, they were crazy.
-
So we're like, holy shit, the CIA is coming after Danny.
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Holy shit, is that what you've been trying to say all this time?
Blog text (12)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A short word people say to show surprise or admiration
∞
8.9
An angry or surprised question showing you do not believe something
448
7.5
A small amount of care or worry about something
389
9.9
A shout people make to show excitement or surprise
265
7.0
To show surprise, shock or disbelief in a mild, polite way
147
8.9
A short cry to show surprise, confusion, disbelief, or casual acceptance
79
4.6
A short laugh showing surprise or small victory
63
9.9
A word people say to show mild surprise
52
9.4
A short sound people say to show surprise or admiration
35
9.6
To say when you are very surprised or shocked
34
8.8
A short cry people use to show surprise or amazement
29
7.6
A short phrase people say to show surprise or disbelief
29
9.4
A short informal cry showing surprise or strong feeling
23
9.9
A strong rude shout people use when they feel very angry or shocked
22
9.9
A short cry showing surprise or excitement
18
9.8
A short word people say to show surprise, admiration, or annoyance
16
8.3
A short sound people say to show surprise or excitement
15
9.9
An old-fashioned word people say to show surprise
14
8.2
A short cry to show strong surprise or admiration
11
7.5
A short phrase people say to show surprise or shock
10
9.5
A short word people say when they are surprised or shocked
9
9.9
A short sound people make to show surprise or admiration
7
9.9
A short informal word people say when they feel surprise, shock, or annoyance
7
9.6
A short cry of fear or surprise when something suddenly scares you
3
9.6
A short surprised phrase people say when they are shocked
3
9.9
A short cry people make when they are suddenly scared
2
9.9
An old-fashioned shout said to show surprise or shock
2
9.9
A short informal online message that shows very strong surprise or excitement
2
9.9
An informal word people say to show surprise, annoyance, or that they do not believe something
1
8.4
A short sound people make when they suddenly understand something
1
9.9
A friendly phrase people say to show surprise or excitement
1
8.5
A short written exclamation people use in messages to show surprise or shock
1
9.1
A soft sound you make when something feels good or brings relief
1
9.9
A short shout that shows surprise or shock
1
9.9
A short phrase people say when they feel surprised or do not believe something
1
9.9
A strong spoken reaction showing surprise and disbelief
1
9.9
A loud informal shout that shows surprise, shock, or strong annoyance
1
8.7
A quiet sound people make when they are surprised or impressed
A short shout to show surprise or amazement
A word people say to show strong surprise
A short cry people say to show surprise or anger
A short shout showing surprise, alarm, or disbelief
How Surprised
- Offensive
169
9.9
- Informal
14
8.2
- Informal
29
7.6
- Informal
∞
1.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
holy + shit
The combination of 'holy' (a religious adjective) and 'shit' (a vulgar noun/expletive) creates an idiomatic intensifier used to express strong surprise or shock. A B1 learner who knows both words will probably infer that it is a strong, vulgar exclamation, but the exact pragmatic force and register (vulgarity and use as an intensifier rather than a literal phrase) is idiomatic and requires pragmatic exposure, so it is not fully transparent.
Etymology
Holy shit may come from putting the religious word holy next to the rude word shit, making a strong, shocking image. So people say it today as a quick way to show 'surprise', 'shock', or 'excitement'.