as in smug
disapproving
having or showing the annoying attitude of people who believe that they are morally better than other people
a holier-than-thou attitude
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Recent Examples of holier-than-thou
WalletHub made sure that no state walked away feeling entirely holier-than-thou.
—
Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 19 Aug. 2025
After all, Bill can be a buzzkill, and the Hills’ other neighbors, such as the conspiratorial Dale Gribble across the alley and the holier-than-thou Minh and Kahn Souphanousinphone next door, are flawed too.
—Adrienne Matei, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025
And Velia Martínez, who played the Spanish-speaking, holier-than-thou grandmother set in her ways, was born in Tampa, fluent in English and a longtime actress in Mexico and Cuba.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
Laurie, now adopting her own holier-than-thou perch, is just as bad.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Phillip, Portland, Ore. A: Unlike baseball, with some of its holier-than-thou decisions with its Hall of Fame, the Basketball Hall of Fame largely looks at career on-court achievements.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2025
The story prompted an uproar from fans of Michigan’s Big Ten opponents, who saw Harbaugh as a cheater and Michigan’s holier-than-thou image as a fraud, and urged commissioner Tony Petitti to take action.
—Austin Meek, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024
In scenes together, Cooke’s arch line deliveries and holier-than-thou smirks spark against D’Arcy’s regal defensiveness and cool anger.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 June 2024
Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 19 Aug. 2025
After all, Bill can be a buzzkill, and the Hills’ other neighbors, such as the conspiratorial Dale Gribble across the alley and the holier-than-thou Minh and Kahn Souphanousinphone next door, are flawed too.
—Adrienne Matei, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025
And Velia Martínez, who played the Spanish-speaking, holier-than-thou grandmother set in her ways, was born in Tampa, fluent in English and a longtime actress in Mexico and Cuba.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
Laurie, now adopting her own holier-than-thou perch, is just as bad.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Phillip, Portland, Ore. A: Unlike baseball, with some of its holier-than-thou decisions with its Hall of Fame, the Basketball Hall of Fame largely looks at career on-court achievements.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2025
The story prompted an uproar from fans of Michigan’s Big Ten opponents, who saw Harbaugh as a cheater and Michigan’s holier-than-thou image as a fraud, and urged commissioner Tony Petitti to take action.
—Austin Meek, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024
In scenes together, Cooke’s arch line deliveries and holier-than-thou smirks spark against D’Arcy’s regal defensiveness and cool anger.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holier-than-thou
Adjective
-
However, Ralph has a smug attitude when talking to Brad.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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Colum’s smug assurance that the wedding will happen soon is rocked when Ned shows up with news of the Grants’ suspicions about the raid.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The opt-out process escalates the company’s cavalier approach to intellectual property rights, potentially setting up a legal battle between Hollywood’s biggest studios and the AI start-up.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
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However, some developers have gotten cavalier with what constitutes a remake — with Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us series being a prime example.—
George Yang,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In Greek mythology, Orion was a powerful and talented hunter who incurred the wrath of the gods for being too boastful about his own skills.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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Of course, people make boastful statements of dubious merit all the time, but, as our story explains, Robinson has monetized his fantasies by selling development masterclasses to aspiring writers and offering other services for a fee.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The book hinges on a conflict between self-righteous Burghers, who live in cities, and resentful, paranoid rural people known as Yeomen.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
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Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Some might see you as arrogant.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
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Jackson returns as Wes Bryant, a handsome, intelligent, but arrogant man who had just moved to Seattle and was revealed to be a new medical intern at Grey Sloan.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The heroine of Mansfield Park, Fanny Price, is the most moralistic young person in her household (and the most ignored).—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
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What matters is a heavy focus on aesthetic and moralistic perfection.—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holier-than-thou.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holier-than-thou. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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