unholyun‧ho‧ly /ʌnˈhəʊli $ -ˈhoʊ-/ adjective [no comparative] 
An unholy row broke out between two of the men drinking in the bar. an unholy mess3not holy, or not respecting what is holy4unholy amusement/delight/pleasure pleasure etc that you get from someone else’s suffering: He was taking an unholy delight in humiliating Sarah.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- What are you making such an unholy fuss about?
- But the edges of her symbol were darkened by the unholy fires of self-doubt.
- Eating flesh was unholy, and blood would stain an altar; only meal and grain were acceptable for food and sacrifice.
- Meanwhile over the top sings Mel, clearer and truer than before, apparently blissfully unaware of the unholy mayhem beneath her.
- Smith particularly feared unholy alliances between business and government.
- The unholy triumvirate of developer, planner and architect had maimed it for ever in the sixties and seventies.
- We were the most unholy trinity on the face of the earth, or else the most holy.
WORD SETS
acolyte, nounafterlife, nounagnostic, nounangel, nounanimism, nounanoint, verbapostasy, nounapostate, nounarchangel, nounbelieve, verbbeliever, nounbell-ringer, nounbless, verbblessed, adjectiveblessing, nouncelebrant, nounChristian Science, nouncircumcise, verbcircumcision, nouncommunion, nounconfession, nounconvent, nounconversion, nounconvert, nouncoreligionist, nouncowl, nouncredo, nouncreed, nouncult, noundaemon, nounDecalogue, noundefrock, verbdeism, noundenomination, noundenominational, adjectivedevotee, noundevotion, noundevotional, adjectivedevout, adjectivedivine, adjectivedivinity, noundruid, nounfaith, nounfast day, nounfeast, nounfervour, nounfiesta, nounfollow, verbfrankincense, noungentile, noungod, noungoddess, noungrace, nounhabit, nounhair shirt, nounhallelujah, interjectionhallowed, adjectivehalo, nounheathen, adjectiveheathen, nounheaven, nounheavenly, adjectivehell, nounheresy, nounheretic, nounhermit, nounhermitage, nounheterodox, adjectivehigh priest, nounidol, nounidolatry, nounincarnation, nounincense, nouninfidel, nounintercession, nouninvocation, nouninvoke, verbirreligious, adjective-ism, suffixlayman, nounlaywoman, nounlibation, nounliturgical, adjectiveliturgy, nounmartyr, nounmartyr, verbmeditate, verbmeditation, nounmission, nounmonastery, nounmonastic, adjectivemonk, nounmonotheism, nounMoonie, nounMormon, nounMosaic, adjectivemystery play, nounmystic, nounmystical, adjectivemysticism, nounneophyte, nounnovice, nounnovitiate, nounnuminous, adjectivenun, nounnunnery, nounoblation, nounobservance, nounoffering, nounOlympian, adjectiveordain, verborder, nounorthodox, adjectiveotherworldly, adjectivepagan, adjectivepagan, nounpantheism, nounpantheon, nounParsee, nounpilgrim, nounpilgrimage, nounpious, adjectivepluralism, nounpolytheism, nounpractise, verbpray, verbprayer, nounprayer wheel, nounpreach, verbpreacher, nounpriest, nounpriestess, nounpriesthood, nounpriestly, adjectiveprophet, nounprophetess, nounpurify, verbRasta, nounRastafarian, nounRastaman, nounRE, nounrecant, verbreincarnation, nounreligious, adjectivereligiously, adverbreliquary, nounrepent, verbretreat, nounrevelation, nounrevivalism, nounrite, nounritual, nounsacred, adjectivesacrifice, nounsacrifice, verbsacrificial, adjectivesanctify, verbsanctity, nounsanctuary, nounsanctum, nounsatanism, nounscripture, nounsect, nounsectarian, adjectiveservice, nounshaman, nounShinto, nounshrine, nounsin, nounsin, verbsinful, adjectivesinner, nounsoul, nounspirit, nounspiritual, adjectivespiritualism, nounspirituality, nounSr, sun god, nounsuppliant, nounsupplicant, nounsupplication, nounSupreme Being, nounTao, nounTaoism, nountemple, nountenet, nounthanksgiving, nountheism, nountheo-, prefixtheocracy, nountheologian, nountheological college, nountheology, nountonsure, nountranscendental, adjectivetranscendental meditation, nountransmigration, noununbelief, noununbeliever, nounungodly, adjectiveunholy, adjectiveunorthodox, adjectivevisionary, nounvoodoo, nounvotary, nounworship, verbworship, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY An unholy row broke out between two of the men drinking in the bar. an unholy messCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1an unholy alliance an agreement between two people or organizations who would not normally work together, usually for a bad purpose2[only before noun] informal bad and extreme: An unholy row broke out between two of the men drinking in the bar. an unholy mess informal (=a very angry row)· An unholy row broke out between two of the men drinking in the bar.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· It was the potential in this unholy alliance that she feared.· Smith particularly feared unholy alliances between business and government.· An unholy alliance with other minorities to preserve ideological positions otherwise unacceptable to the electorate does not appeal as a noble enterprise.
· And five thousand years on: An unholy row over the Dead Sea Scrolls.
An unholy row broke out between two of the men drinking in the bar. an unholy mess3not holy, or not respecting what is holy4unholy amusement/delight/pleasure pleasure etc that you get from someone else’s suffering: He was taking an unholy delight in humiliating Sarah.