Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Made holy or sacred; consecrated: "Hallowed" describes something that has been declared or recognized as holy, often through religious ceremony or tradition.
   • Honored as sacred; venerated: It refers to something treated with the highest respect and reverence, often because of its great age, religious significance, or historical importance.

Usage

• As an attributive adjective (before a noun): It is most commonly used directly before the noun it modifies to describe a sacred place, object, or concept.
• As a predicate adjective (after a linking verb): It can follow verbs like "be," "feel," or "consider" to describe the state of being revered.

Examples

• Attributive use:
  • They walked in silence across the hallowed ground of the ancient cemetery.
  • The ceremony took place in the hallowed halls of the university.
• Predicate use:
  • This site is hallowed to the people of our faith.
  • The memory of her sacrifice is hallowed in our community.

Advanced Usage

• "Hallowed be Thy name": A fixed phrase from the Lord's Prayer, meaning "may Your name be treated as holy."
• Used to describe traditions, institutions, or figures that are deeply respected within a culture or field.
  • He finally got to play on the hallowed turf of Wimbledon.
  • Breaking the hallowed rules of the club caused quite a scandal.

Variants and Related Words

• Hallow (verb): To make holy; to honor as holy. (e.g., )
• Hallowing (noun): The act of making something holy.
• Unhallowed (adjective): Not consecrated; not sacred. (e.g., )

Synonyms

• Sacred: Dedicated to a religious purpose and deserving veneration.
• Consecrated: Made or declared sacred, especially through a formal ceremony.
• Revered: Regarded with deep respect and admiration.
• Venerated: Accorded a great deal of respect, especially due to age, wisdom, or character.

Antonyms

• Profane: Not concerned with religion or religious purposes; secular. Often implies a lack of respect for what is sacred.
• Desecrated: Treated with violent disrespect; violated the sacred character of.
• Unholy: Not holy; unconsecrated.

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

• Hallowed ground/halls/turf: A common collocation emphasizing the deep reverence for a specific physical location.
  • The library is considered hallowed ground for scholars.
• In the hallowed tradition of: Following the respected customs of a particular field or group.
  • She writes detective novels in the hallowed tradition of Agatha Christie.

Adjective

1. worthy of religious veneration
   • the sacred name of Jesus
   • Jerusalem's hallowed soil