holy shit
26
9.9
- idiom
- /ˈhoʊli ʃɪt/
- Offensive
:
joder (interj., vulgar)
- I just saw the new roller coaster, and holy shit, it's huge!
- says, "Holy shit"
- Oh, holy shit
- Yeah, holy shit
Handwriting, 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
-
Wow, holy shit, look at that thing.
-
I think we're gonna do OK. Holy shit. No way.
-
Please excuse the way I look, but holy shit, it's gone down.
-
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.
-
It was just like, holy shit, it was amazing.
-
And the confessions that people submitted, holy shit, they were crazy.
-
So we're like, holy shit, the CIA is coming after Danny.
-
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
422
7.5
A small amount of care or worry about something
359
9.9
A shout people make to show excitement or surprise
347
8.9
An angry or surprised question showing you do not believe something
90
8.9
A short cry to show surprise, confusion, disbelief, or casual acceptance
76
4.6
A short laugh showing surprise or small victory
36
9.4
A short sound people say to show surprise or admiration
31
8.7
A quiet sound people make when they are surprised or impressed
24
9.9
A word people say to show mild surprise
22
9.8
A short word people say to show surprise, admiration, or annoyance
17
9.4
A short informal cry showing surprise or strong feeling
16
8.3
A short sound people say to show surprise or excitement
14
8.8
A short cry people use to show surprise or amazement
14
9.9
A short cry showing surprise or excitement
14
9.9
A strong rude shout people use when they feel very angry or shocked
8
7.6
A short phrase people say to show surprise or disbelief
8
8.5
A short written exclamation people use in messages to show surprise or shock
5
9.6
A short cry of fear or surprise when something suddenly scares you
5
7.5
A short phrase people say to show surprise or shock
4
9.9
A short informal word people say when they feel surprise, shock, or annoyance
4
9.1
A soft sound you make when something feels good or brings relief
4
9.5
A short word people say when they are surprised or shocked
4
9.9
A short cry people say to show surprise or anger
3
8.2
A short cry to show strong surprise or admiration
3
8.4
A short sound people make when they suddenly understand something
3
9.6
To say when you are very surprised or shocked
3
9.9
A short sound people make to show surprise or admiration
2
9.6
A short surprised phrase people say when they are shocked
2
9.9
An informal word people say to show surprise, annoyance, or that they do not believe something
2
7.0
To show surprise, shock or disbelief in a mild, polite way
1
9.9
A short cry people make when they are suddenly scared
A short shout that shows surprise or shock
A short shout to show surprise or amazement
A word people say to show strong surprise
A short informal online message that shows very strong surprise or excitement
A friendly phrase people say to show surprise or excitement
A short phrase people say when they feel surprised or do not believe something
A strong spoken reaction showing surprise and disbelief
A loud informal shout that shows surprise, shock, or strong annoyance
An old-fashioned word people say to show surprise
An old-fashioned shout said to show surprise or shock
A short shout showing surprise, alarm, or disbelief
How Surprised
- Offensive
26
9.9
- Informal
3
8.2
- Informal
8
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'.