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Definitions

grail

[greyl] / greɪl /
NOUN
sacred vessel
Synonyms
STRONG
chalice cup
WEAK
holy dish

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for grail?
A grail is a type of cup, chalice, goblet, or vessel. But the word is almost always used to mean the Holy Grail or a holy grail. When capitalized, Holy Grail (or just Grail) refers to the cup that according to medieval legend was used by Jesus at the Last Supper. Due to legends about the cup’s supposed powers, it became the subject of quests by knights who hoped to locate it, including the legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. (A somewhat similar legend is that of El Dorado, the legendary city of gold and treasure sought by Spanish colonizers.) This sense of Holy Grail and Grail eventually came to be used (often in lowercase) in a metaphorical way to refer to any greatly desired and sought-after objective, reward, item, or ultimate ideal. For example, a particularly rare book may be called the holy grail of rare book collecting, or winning the World Cup may be called the holy grail of soccer (football). Such things are often described as highly sought-after. A person’s ultimate desire may be called their grail. A similar term is heart’s desire. Similar but less idiomatic terms are ultimate prize and ultimate goal.
Why is the Holy Grail called a grail?
The word grail comes from a Medieval Latin word gradālis, meaning “platter.” At some point, medieval legends started to use the image of a cup (as opposed to a bowl, platter, or other vessel).

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Everyone treats buy-and-hold as the holy grail because they are anchored to the extraordinary run from 1982 to today.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives predicted in a note that the next step after the IPO, would be a merger with Tesla, creating an AI powered "holy grail."

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

His parents were also present to greet him, days after he achieved the holy grail of marathon running by becoming the first man to finish under two hours with an official time of 01:59:30.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Cornell University scientists have taken a major step toward developing a safe, reversible, long-acting and 100% effective nonhormonal male contraceptive, considered the holy grail of male contraception.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

In my grail diary, I had every single Rush song, album, bootleg, and music video ever made.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Vocabulary lists containing grail

Solo

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Novel Study: The Great Gatsby, Chapters 7–9

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Ready Player One

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