unhallowed
/ʌn'hæloud/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not consecrated or made holy: Describes something that has not been formally dedicated to a sacred purpose or religious service.
- Not regarded as sacred or hallowed: Refers to something that is not treated with religious reverence or considered inviolable.
Usage
- The word "unhallowed" is a formal, literary adjective, often used in religious, historical, or dramatic contexts to describe places, objects, or actions that lack sanctity. It frequently carries a negative connotation, implying profanity or desecration.
Examples
- Adjective:
- The ancient burial site was considered unhallowed ground by the local villagers.
- They refused to perform the ceremony in such an unhallowed place.
- His unhallowed actions were condemned by the community.
Advanced Usage
- "unhallowed hands": a poetic phrase describing hands that are not pure or sanctified, often used to imply defilement.
- The sacred relic was not to be touched by unhallowed hands.
- "unhallowed rites": refers to ceremonies or practices that are not sanctified by an accepted religion, often considered pagan or blasphemous.
- Legends spoke of unhallowed rites performed in the forest at midnight.
Variants and Related Words
- Unhallow (verb, archaic): To profane or desecrate; to make unholy.
- They feared the invaders would unhallow their temple.
- Hallowed (adjective): Consecrated, holy, or greatly revered. This is the direct antonym.
- They stood on hallowed ground.
Synonyms
- Profane: Not connected with religion or religious purposes; showing disrespect toward God or sacred things.
- Desecrated: Treated with violent disrespect; violated.
- Unconsecrated: Not made or declared sacred.
- Unsanctified: Not purified or freed from sin; not consecrated.
Antonyms
- Hallowed
- Consecrated
- Sacred
- Sanctified
- Holy
Related Phrases and Idioms
- "unhallowed ground": A very common collocation referring to land that is not consecrated, often where it is forbidden or considered bad luck to bury the dead.
- The pirate was buried in unhallowed ground.
- "unhallowed alliance": A figurative use describing a partnership or agreement formed for impure, blasphemous, or sinister purposes.
- The novel tells of an unhallowed alliance between the nobleman and the dark cult.
Adjective
-
not hallowed or consecrated
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