The adjective hallowed is used to describe something that is sacred and revered, usually something old and steeped in tradition.
- Pronunciation: /'hælod/
- English description: belonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power
- Synonyms: sacred
- Chinese Translation: 神圣的(shen2 sheng4 de)
- Spanish Translation: sagrado
- ORIGIN: The word hallowed often has a religious connotation, but it can also be used playfully to convey a sense of reverence about something that isn’t religious in nature but that nonetheless inspires worship. A football fan, for example, may talk about the hallowed tradition of tailgating on a game day Saturday, or an avid shopper may describe the hallowed grounds of the Macy’s shoe department. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln used the word with its more traditional sense to ponder man's inability to show the proper reverence to those men who died in battle: "But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate…we cannot consecrate…we cannot hallow…this ground."
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
- She has, after all, been the show's "star baker" three times - earning herself the hallowed "Hollywood handshake" for her signature bake in last week's semi-final.
- The sport has a hallowed history at the academies
*New word description, story and part of "EXAMPLE SENTENCE" are cited in Vocabulary.com