# unholy

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ʌnˈhəʊli/ · frequency rank #26,645

## Definitions
1. Not holy; (by extension) evil, impure, or otherwise perverted.
2. Dreadful, terrible, excessive, or otherwise atrocious.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **uphold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unholy-vs-uphold)
- **untold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unholy-vs-untold)
- **unruly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unholy-vs-unruly)
- **unsold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unholy-vs-unsold)
- **unfold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unfold-vs-unholy)
- **unduly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unduly-vs-unholy)
- **ungodly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ungodly-vs-unholy)

## Common misspellings (9)
`nuholy`, `uhnoly`, `unhholy`, `unhloy`, `unholly`, `unholyy`, `unhoyl`, `unnholy`, `unohly`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/unholy