Pecksniffian

adjective

pek-ˈsni-fē-ən How to pronounce Pecksniffian (audio)
Definition of Pecksniffiannext
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express a Pecksniffian pandering to religious conservatives, especially in the weeks before the election

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for Pecksniffian
  1. fake
  2. double
  3. lip
  4. hollow
  5. strained
  6. hypocritical
  7. superficial
  8. counterfeit
Adjective
  • The fake blooms lined the sweeping curves that curled across the arena floor.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Chastain goes for broke with melodrama as both the real and fake Mommies.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Adjective
  • But this is an album that’s apparently about the artist’s double life, and the questions that are bound to be at the forefront of any curious listener’s mind go unaddressed.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • To [React with exaggerated surprise] is to DO A DOUBLE TAKE — as in, to take out double letters (not consecutive ones, mind you).
    — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of double
Adjective
  • Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
  • On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatianna points to cinnamon as a conductor of heat—one commonly used in lip plumper products to achieve a sultry pout.
    — Essence, Essence, 23 Nov. 2025
Definition of lip
Adjective
  • The stranger’s hollow cheeks, his dark eyes, whose lashes always appeared wet, the bony shoulders that protruded from the singlet Chee Meng had lent him—all of it frightened Shawn.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Every unfilled titanium lattice sank as water flooded its hollow channels.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of hollow
Adjective
  • Worries have been rising about the French government’s big debt and its strained budget.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn’t played since April 24 because of strained calf muscles in both legs, remained on the 26-man roster for the best-of-five series starting Saturday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of strained
Adjective
  • Californian Fred Karger, who made history in 2012 as the first openly gay person to run for president, had mixed views about the ad, calling it shrewd yet hypocritical.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Some churches have rightly been accused of being partisan, hypocritical and discriminatory toward women and minorities.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of hypocritical
Adjective
  • In the 2030s, aging party leaders living in rarefied Zhongnanhai compounds may look out and see superficial stability.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
  • While the two people in the vehicle were attempting to exit the vehicle though the front passenger door, the 17-year-old sustained a superficial gunshot wound to his buttock.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of superficial
Adjective
  • There was a modest 5% rise in counterfeit sports cards, yet a 125% increase in fake Pokémon cards.
    — Bob Woods, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
  • In 2019, Italian police arrested three people in a scheme to sell at least 11,000 counterfeit bottles of Tignanello in Italy, Germany and Belgium, labeled as 2009, 2010 and 2011 vintages but filled with low-quality wine.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of counterfeit
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

pecks (at)
Pecksniffian
peculate
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Pecksniffian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Pecksniffian. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of abscond

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All