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# holy moly

phrase (interjection / exclamation; also spelt holy moley)

«holy moly» in the English dictionary: in the primary school — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## In the primary school

Source: Mova's pupils' dictionary. Licence: [Elamur Cosmic License](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/LICENSE/). Reviewed: the dictionary the pupils of Mova's primary school read; its examples quote the lessons and public-domain tales. Ships with Mova.

### Meaning

(euphemism, humorous) a playful cry of surprise or amazement, a mild stand-in for a stronger swear word.

### In the lessons

Used to joke and to show surprise without swearing; the rhyme makes it sound silly and cheerful. Heard across the English-speaking world, in families, classrooms, cartoons and chat. Register: humorous, everyday, child-friendly.

### Examples

- Holy moly, that's a lot of homework!
- Holy moly, the cake is bigger than the table!
- Chat: holy moly did u see the score
- Holy moly, it's freezing out here.
- Holy moly, you grew so tall since last summer!
- The teacher looked at the messy art room and said, «Holy moly.»
- Holy moly, that roller coaster goes upside down twice!
- Holy moly, my phone bill is huge this month.

### Note

It has no meaning of its own beyond surprise; nothing religious is meant. It sounds jokey, so it can seem out of place at sad or serious news. Plain meaning: «Wow!»; it replaces a stronger oath.