1
as in honorable
conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue
a righteous man can be trusted to act honorably regardless of the circumstances
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in honest
following the accepted rules of moral conduct
righteous behavior is its own reward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in excellent
slang
of the very best kind
a nightspot that's a dependable venue for righteous jazz
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of righteous
With love, with longing, with righteous rage or shameful guilt, on a sacrificial pyre or in the eternal flames of hell: There are so many ways to burn.
—
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
The righteous horror that the Playboy image evoked 22 years ago has dissipated.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
With the camel’s back broken, Dorothy Scott, summoning all her righteous indignation (and channeled with maybe one-third of Audra McDonald’s extraordinary talent, which is still enough to power the city of Manhattan), lets the snobby scold have it.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
In Weapons’ frantic climax, Alex uses her magic against her, reclaiming what she’s taken from him—his mother, his father, his friends—in a moment of righteous comeuppance.
—Andy Crump, Time, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for righteous
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
The righteous horror that the Playboy image evoked 22 years ago has dissipated.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
With the camel’s back broken, Dorothy Scott, summoning all her righteous indignation (and channeled with maybe one-third of Audra McDonald’s extraordinary talent, which is still enough to power the city of Manhattan), lets the snobby scold have it.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
In Weapons’ frantic climax, Alex uses her magic against her, reclaiming what she’s taken from him—his mother, his father, his friends—in a moment of righteous comeuppance.
—Andy Crump, Time, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for righteous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for righteous
Adjective
-
Getting an honorable discharge at the height of the Vietnam War was a blessing, as far as I was concerned.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
20 Aug. 2025
-
An honorable transfer happened with his remains arriving at the Indianapolis International Airport aboard an American Airlines flight on Aug. 15, 2025.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The point is to be honest with parents and the people tasked with running our schools about how the system is doing. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
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Find two people, no more, who can be brutally honest with you, yet love you enough to speak gently.—
Pankaj Vasani,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The tavern is the result of excellent teamwork, bringing together dozens of talented individuals from Disney’s Imagineering team over the course of a year, including senior creative director Chris Weck and executive producer Ken Ricci.—
Ronny Maye,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Just north of Venice, the Veneto region is also known for excellent wines.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As a result, many have already experienced issues such as privacy violations, systemic failures, inaccurate predictions, and ethical violations.—
Joe McKendrick,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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This approach sidesteps ethical concerns around voice cloning and unauthorized use of actor likenesses, as all work is done with proper permissions and content rights.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But these noble and desirable purposes all involve trade-offs, which Democrats often prefer to ignore.—
Clive Crook,
Twin Cities,
21 Aug. 2025
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That most were working on the project for objectively noble reasons in a war against authoritarianism only compounds the tragedy.—
Ed Simon
August 18,
Literary Hub,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Jalen Coker, a second-year receiver who’s had a wonderful camp, will play Thursday.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Aug. 2025
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The outpouring from the community has been wonderful, and everyone has been willing to help, though there isn’t much anyone can do at the moment, according to Guzauskas.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether that’s actually true or people just like to complain more 21 years after the original’s finale is certainly up for similar debate.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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The same was true for the United States in both world wars.—
S. C. M. Paine,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Being able to create ourselves has felt like the greatest, the final privilege.—
Rachel Cusk,
New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2025
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This tank would be great for exercise classes, hiking, and other sweaty activities.—
Anne Taylor,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/righteous. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.
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