Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

holy moley

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.09 in modern English

Syllables: holy -mo-ley
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

intj

Synonym of wow, an expression of surprise.

Dated; Humorous

Example Sentences

""Whew !" he whistled, softly; "that's curious. Same name as the lady at our place. Suppose he should be her husband. Holy moley, what a game. I've made a discovery."

Etymology

Originally a euphemism for Holy Mary, Molly being a nickname for Mary. Compare holy Moses.

Usage

Inflected Forms

holy moley ! (canonical) holy moly (alternative)

Synonyms

wow

Questions

What does holy moley mean?: Synonym of wow, an expression of surprise.
Where does holy moley come from?: Originally a euphemism for Holy Mary, Molly being a nickname for Mary. Compare holy Moses.

How to pronounce holy moley

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “holy moley”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “holy moley”.
Repeat and practice — Say “holy moley” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.