SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
sanctimonious
adjective
Making a self-righteous display of moral superiority.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Displaying moral superiority
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSanctimonious is critical of an ostentatious or insincere moral stance. Pious can be sincere and approving, while preachy concerns unwanted moral instruction.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See sanctimonious in use
His sanctimonious lecture ignored his own part in the mistake.
A former chair offered a reactionary alternative: restore the earlier rule that reserved every leadership position for the society's founders. His sanctimonious speech presented supporters of that rule as the only members who truly cared about the community.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license