What Does "HOLEY" Mean? The Complete Holey Definition
The meaning of HOLEY is having holes; full of holes; perforated. In everyday use, the HOLEY definition usually describes something that is damaged, worn, or patterned with openings, such as HOLEY fabric, HOLEY socks, or a HOLEY piece of cheese. As an adjective, it can also suggest something that is unreliable or incomplete, especially in a figurative sense.
The word HOLEY is closely related to hole and developed through the addition of the adjective-forming suffix -y. In English, that makes HOLEY a real descriptive word, and the HOLEY meaning in word games often comes from this literal “full of holes” idea. Less commonly, people may also use it as a playful spelling connected to “holy,” but the standard HOLEY definition is the one with holes.
Holey Synonyms: Words Similar to HOLEY
Synonyms for HOLEY include several words that overlap in meaning, but each has a slightly different tone or usage.
- Perforated — More technical and precise; often used for paper, metal, or manufactured items with holes.
- Pocked — Suggests a surface marked with many small depressions or holes, often from damage or wear.
- Porous — Means full of tiny openings that let air or liquid pass through, especially in materials.
- Riddled — Implies something is filled with holes, often from damage, bullets, or decay.
- Tattered — Refers more to torn, ragged material than to literal holes, but overlaps in worn-out fabric contexts.
- Threadbare — Describes something worn thin and shabby, sometimes with holes, especially clothing or upholstery.
- Swiss-cheese-like — Informal phrase used when something has many holes, mirroring the NYT Connections clue.
How to Use "HOLEY" in a Sentence: Real Examples
Here are some clear examples of HOLEY used in different contexts.
- The old sweater was so HOLEY that it needed to be replaced.
- The bread had a HOLEY texture after it was baked with lots of air pockets.
- He joked that his plan was HOLEY and needed a lot more detail.
- In a playful sense, she called the explanation HOLEY because it had too many gaps.
HOLEY in NYT Connections #1115 — Why Did It Appear?
In NYT Connections #1115, published on 2026-04-10, HOLEY appeared in the blue group, the hardest category, titled The other words in the group were and , all of which can describe cheese characteristics or cheese varieties. That made HOLEY the most visually obvious fit once the theme was recognized, because Swiss cheese is famously full of holes.