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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 holier-than-thou
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
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
Annelle-Inspired Picks The spiritual turnaround of the beauty shop’s new recruit guided our picks for her holier-than-thou shelves.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2024
Aidan is written as a sympathetic character — unlike Big, who comes off much more pompous — but still manipulates Carrie from his holier-than-thou perch.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023
But whether Ben is talking to people he’s known for ages or whom he’s just met, the guy has a knack for being aggressive, holier-than-thou, and sarcastic to a fault.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2023
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 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
Annelle-Inspired Picks The spiritual turnaround of the beauty shop’s new recruit guided our picks for her holier-than-thou shelves.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2024
Aidan is written as a sympathetic character — unlike Big, who comes off much more pompous — but still manipulates Carrie from his holier-than-thou perch.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023
But whether Ben is talking to people he’s known for ages or whom he’s just met, the guy has a knack for being aggressive, holier-than-thou, and sarcastic to a fault.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holier-than-thou
Adjective
-
The washers contain a large haul of cocaine, which Mia and Charlie are tasked with delivering to the Chinatown hangout of smug young local Triad boss Tsui Fong (Jeremy Ang Jones) to square up a debt.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025
-
This brings me back to the siege of Jackson, which happens at the same time as Abby’s smug speechifying and Joel-torturing up at the lodge.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The cavalier way that Jon Hamm’s Matt dials up another decade of punishment in solitary confinement for his digital egg prisoner and takes a nonchalant sip of coffee is one of the most devilish on-screen actions in TV history.—
Steve Greene,
IndieWire,
12 Apr. 2025
-
These include basset hounds; beagles; bulldogs; cavalier king Charles spaniels; collies; golden retrievers; Labrador retrievers; papillons; and pugs.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Feeling hopeless in her quest to stop Crawford and help Delia get her life back, Elsbeth confronts the boastful judge, who is riding high on his rising star and his triumph over her.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
-
And there were boastful messages about finding a way to get Europe to pay for the operation — but nothing about China, which benefits hugely from the trade passing through the straits near Yemen, including much of its oil imports and its exports to Europe.—
Steven Erlanger,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
They are sent off to a grandmother in Ontario who is the epitome of cold, self-righteous Protestant virtue.—
Margaret Atwood,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Today's Democratic party is dominated by self-righteous, upper-middle class, coastal elites—people wealthy enough to avoid sending their children to failing public schools and able to overlook the true costs of their green agenda.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That doesn’t portray a hero, but rather someone so arrogant as to invent his own law and appoint himself its executioner.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Maybe so, but that’s an arrogant thing for such a young killer to say.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
And for any fan of the show — and Wilson’s over-the-top, egotistical Dwight — the lyrics might not be a total surprise.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
In the 1998 episode, Theroux, 53, appears briefly as an egotistical writer who flirts with Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw at a party.—
John Russell,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But the moralistic sneer didn’t take long to enter the postgame analysis.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The story is predictably moralistic and, frankly, more worried about conforming to contemporary mores than accurately representing what was going on in Cuba in the 1950s, dramatically speaking anyway.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holier-than-thou.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holier-than-thou. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share