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saintly

saintly

12 4.2
Very kind and good in a way that helps others
  • adjective
  • /ˈseɪntli/
translation icon : santo
  • This saintly man chose to follow the path of Hanuman.
  • saintly life
  • saintly patron
  • saintly figure

It's a really really one of the saintly cities in northern Spain.

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Examples

  • The young girl stood in the unreal light, her lucent body like a saintly apparition.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • We sat among heroic men, self sacrificing, saintly women holding granite babies to their breasts.

  • I mean, some people are saintly and patient and do good, and other people are the opposite.

  • All the other saints I looked at were all so... saintly, I guess.

  • I will protect you and give you the blessings of saintly men.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The crown raises the disenfranchised to royal, even saintly status.

  • The village is home to the people of the Al Sharif tribe, which loosely translated means the saintly people.

  • Her father Giacomo Benincasa was hailed as "saintly" by his neighbors, the epithet coming readily to their lips.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Catholics of the time were devoted to saintly relics, while native peoples revered the mummified remains of their ancestors.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The saintly woman spent her weekends volunteering at the local shelter, helping those in need.

Synonyms

noble
vssaintly
274 3.6

Having high moral qualities and kind intentions

leans toward deep kindness and moral resemblance rather than social status
virtuous
vssaintly
35 4.3

Being morally good and doing what is right

focuses more on resembling holy perfection rather than general moral rules
angelic
vssaintly
32 4.0

Kind, pure, and innocent in a way that seems like an angel

stresses deep moral virtue and kindness rather than innocent beauty
godly
vssaintly
19 5.1

Showing deep faith and devotion to God

emphasises moral goodness and kindness rather than religious devotion
saintlike
vssaintly
7.1

A person who is very kind and patient and helps others when it is hard

is the same in meaning but used as a different word form
christly
vssaintly
  • Archaic
9.9

Showing kindness, patience, and forgiveness like Christ

is broader, meaning general exceptional goodness not only that religious example
greathearted
vssaintly
  • Literature
8.2

Being kind and generous and ready to forgive and help others

focuses on moral purity and exceptional goodness rather than generosity alone

How Virtuous

saintly
12 4.2
virtuous
35 4.3
good
1.0
kind
534 1.0
nice
1.0

Surface Forms

saintly positive

Morphology

saintly = saint (transparent) = saint + ly

The adjective is formed by the productive suffix '-ly' meaning 'like or characteristic of', so the meaning is directly derivable from 'saint'.

Etymology

Saintly comes from the word saint, which in turn comes from Latin sanctus meaning 'holy'. So to be saintly is to act like a 'holy' or very kind person, which is why we use it for great patience, care, or goodness.