Meaning & use
holy cows
Last updated
“holy cows” is a form of “holy cow”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
interjectioninformal
Used to show mild surprise, amazement, or shock in a playful, informal way.
Grammar: An exclamation, often written with an exclamation mark. The singular 'holy cow' is more common than the plural, but both are used.
Patterns
- Holy cows!
- Holy cow!
Holy cows! Look at the size of that wave!
Holy cows, I can't believe you ate the whole pizza!
Holy cows! That car almost hit us!
nounplural
Ideas, customs, or institutions that people treat as beyond criticism or question.
Grammar: The plural of 'holy cow' in its figurative sense. Often used with 'sacred' as in 'sacred cows'.
Patterns
- sacred cows
- treat something as a holy cow
In that company, the boss's decisions are holy cows that no one dares question.
The documentary challenges some of the holy cows of modern medicine.
Every culture has its holy cows that are hard to criticize.
Word forms
| singular | holy cow |
|---|
Common combinations
- holy cow!
- Holy cow! You won the lottery!
- holy cows!
- Holy cows! I've never seen so many people here.
- sacred cows
- The new manager is not afraid to challenge sacred cows.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wow
- 'Wow' is more general and can show both good and bad surprise; 'holy cow' often has a stronger sense of shock or disbelief.
- good heavens
- 'Good heavens' is a bit old-fashioned and more polite; 'holy cow' is more informal and playful.
Commonly confused: holy cows or holy?
holy cows vs holy
'Holy' means sacred or connected with religion; 'holy cow' is just an exclamation and has nothing to do with actual cows or holiness.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'holy cows' correctly as an exclamation?
Choose one answer.
As an exclamation, 'holy cows' stands alone to express surprise. Option 1 uses it literally as a plural noun, option 2 is grammatically wrong, and option 3 uses it as a verb, which is not correct.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “holy cows”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.