as in stick-in-the-mud
informal + disapproving
a person (such as a child) whose good behavior and politeness are annoying because they seem to be excessive or not sincere
The other kids don't like her because she's a goody-goody.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in pious
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in priggish
Related Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of goody-goody
Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2024
But the tension between evil Max and goody-goody Pippa makes my heart do backflips.
—Fletcher Peters, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
Advertisement Gwen Grastorf’s embodiment of the scheming goody-goody Arsinoë is a tad stagy, but the character is still a fine foil for the quick-witted Célimène.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
The Trump rule presumed these goody-goody considerations got in the way of profitability and that a retirement adviser who accommodated them couldn’t fulfill his professional responsibility to maximize his client’s return.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 3 Mar. 2023
Adjective
This somewhat spotty touring production stars Lauren Samuels as the misunderstood villain Elphaba and Austen Danielle Bohmer as the goody-goody Glinda, the iconic characters originally played by Idina Mendel and Kristin Chenoweth.
—Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2024
But the tension between evil Max and goody-goody Pippa makes my heart do backflips.
—Fletcher Peters, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
Advertisement Gwen Grastorf’s embodiment of the scheming goody-goody Arsinoë is a tad stagy, but the character is still a fine foil for the quick-witted Célimène.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
The Trump rule presumed these goody-goody considerations got in the way of profitability and that a retirement adviser who accommodated them couldn’t fulfill his professional responsibility to maximize his client’s return.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 3 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goody-goody
Noun
-
Bostwick starred as the naive stick-in-the-mud and fiancé of Janice, Brad.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
In the Herbert Ross film, Bacon played big-city teen Ren McCormack, who moves to the small town of Bomont, where its stick-in-the-mud local minster, the Rev. Shaw Moore (John Lithgow), has instituted a ban on dancing.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
9 Nov. 2023
Adjective
-
Supported, at least initially, by his pious wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), and his two teenage daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki), Iman and his clan seem set for a comfy bourgeois life.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
-
She was considered pious and held in high regard in the community, which made the accusations against her surprising.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Ghaywan’s script is explicit but never priggish in its moral standing, letting the outstanding performances drive home the perils of bigotry more than any grandstanding dialogue.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Key West native Mario Palazon of FreshCo Fish Market & Grill in Kendall, who has been in the seafood wholesale business for more than 20 years, says that his suppliers have been catching a record number of crabs.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
-
To accommodate the crabs' safe journey to the sea, Christmas Island residents typically keep rakes and leaf blowers in their cars to help the crustaceans on their way, the outlet reported.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Taken together, these triumphal and tragic elements constitute the ingredients for an epic historical narrative that defies all moralistic categories, a story rooted in the coexistence of grandeur and failure, brilliance and blindness, grace and sin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Initially, bedtime stories tended to be moralistic tales designed to reinforce obedience and proper behavior.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And then there’s Carrie, who is a heightened version of her lesser traits from SATC: prudish, private and lacking in humility.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
-
But Townsend Warner’s takedown of prudish Victorian morality is only getting started.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
Noun
-
The father, Buddy Smart (Bryan Cranston), is the clan’s second-rate crackpot visionary, a cockeyed optimist who dresses in fuddy-duddy jackets and never knows where the next paycheck is coming from.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 June 2025
-
Her characters were women whose roles often implied their own eventual replacements: teachers, fading former love interests, fuddy-duddy old-fashioned relics.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
27 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
Forget any sanctimonious spewing sermon about pro sports foolishly believing these types of things would not happen.—
Mac Engel
October 23,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Just enough with the sanctimonious explanations.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Goody-goody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goody-goody. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share