holy roller
/ˌhoʊ̯.li ˈɹoʊ̯.ləɹ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.94 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour; especially of the Pentecostal Church.
Derogatory; Informal
noun
Alternative letter-case form of Holy Roller
Example Sentences
- "I attended a worship service where I was astounded to see holy rollers convulsing on the floor and speaking in tongues."
- "Holy Rollers and Jumpers come out / And they holler, they jump and they shout / Give your money to Jesus, they say / He will cure all diseases today"
- "Also there are the "Holy Rollers" and "Holy Jumpers", ghastly sects which cultivate the religious hysterias, and have spread like a plague among the women of our lonely prairie farms and desert ranches."
- "He told her the Methodist had at last broken down and cut the strip of grass himself. Mother believed it but wasn't pleased; she talked all the rest of the day and off and on all week about suing the old holy-roller."
- "At the narrowest, Wasps form a select band of well-heeled, well-descended members of the Eastern Establishment; at the widest, they include Okies and Snopeses, "Holy Rollers" and hillbillies."
- "They took advantage of her, these holy rollers. When she was at death's door, they preyed on her faith and her fear. When she was no longer able to make rational decisions, persuaded her to give away our land for that amusement park."
Etymology
From the practice of some devout Pentecostals who would roll on the floor of the church in response to the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌhoʊ̯.li ˈɹoʊ̯.ləɹ/
- British English: /ˌhəʊ̯.liː ˈɹəʊ̯.lə/