Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - unholy

1. You use unholy to emphasize how unreasonable or unpleasant you think something is. She protested that it wasn’t traditional jazz at all, but an unholy row... The economy is still an unholy mess. = horrendous ADJ: ADJ n c darkgreen]emphasis 2. If you refer to two or more people or groups working together as an unholy alliance, you mean that this arrangement is unusual because the people usually oppose each other. If the government does fall it will be because of this unholy alliance between the far right and the left... Westerners charged that the party was run by an unholy coalition between North and South. ADJ: ADJ n c darkgreen]disapproval 3. If you describe something as unholy, you mean that it is wicked or bad. ‘This ought to be fun,’ he told Alex, eyes gleaming with an almost unholy relish... ADJ: usu ADJ n