What does "hallow" mean?
A saint; a holy person; an apostle.
Hallow
/ˈhæloʊ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A saint; a holy person; an apostle.
- Grammar: hallow is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adore, beat the drum, beatified, beatify.
- Useful contrasts: common place, desecrate, profane.
- Usage evidence: All Hallows Eve (or Halloween), the night before All Hallows Day (now more commonly known as "All Saints' Day").
How to use "hallow"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hallow" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hallow" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hallow" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hallow" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hallow" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adore" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hallow", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A saint; a holy person; an apostle.
"All Hallows Eve (or Halloween), the night before All Hallows Day (now more commonly known as "All Saints' Day")."
- 2 A shout, cry; a hulloo.
"Then away they went from merry Sherwood / And into Yorkshire he did hie / And the King did follow, with a hoop and a hallow / But could not come him nigh."
- 3 The relics or shrines of saints or non-Christian gods. in-plural, obsolete
"To seek hallows: to visit relics or shrines, in the belief that the saints themselves are present there."
Verb
- 1 To make holy, to sanctify. transitive
"[…]I am coming on, to venge me as I may and to put forth my rightful hand in a well-hallow'd cause."
- 2 To shout, especially to urge on dogs for hunting.
"[…] for the conversation (if it may be called so) was seldom such as could entertain a lady. It consisted chiefly of hallowing, singing, relations of sporting adventures, b—d—y, and abuse of women, and of the government."
- 3 render holy by means of religious rites wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Alternative spelling of hollow. alt-of, alternative
"If the sun were a hallow sphere of its present size and the earth were placed at the center[...]. Such a hallow sphere would hold more than a million balls the size of the earth."
Example
"All Hallows Eve (or Halloween), the night before All Hallows Day (now more commonly known as "All Saints' Day")."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hallow"?
Common synonyms include: adore, beat the drum, beatified, beatify, bless, bless.
How do you use "hallow" in a sentence?
All Hallows Eve (or Halloween), the night before All Hallows Day (now more commonly known as "All Saints' Day").
How do you pronounce "hallow"?
Pronounced /ˈhæloʊ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Inherited from Middle English halwe (“a saint, holy thing, shrine”), from Old English hālga (“a holy one, saint”), from Proto-Germanic *hailagô (“holy one”), from *hailagaz (“holy”), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“whole, safe, hale”), from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos (“safe, unharmed”). Cognate with Scots halow, hallow (“saint”), German Heiliger (“saint (male)”) / Heilige (“saint (female)”). More at holy, whole.
Etymology 2
Inherited from Middle English halwen (“to hallow, sanctify”), from Old English hālgian (“to hallow, sanctify, make holy”), from Proto-Germanic *hailagōną (“to make holy”), from *hailagaz (“holy”), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“whole, safe, hale”), from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos (“safe, unharmed”). Cognate with Dutch heiligen (“to hallow”), German heiligen (“to hallow”). More at holy.
Etymology 3
Inherited from Middle English halowen, from halow (interjection), from Old English ēalā (“O!, alas!, oh!, lo!”, interjection), probably conflated with Old French halloer.