moralizing 1 of 3

adjective

as in sermonic
marked by or given to preaching moral values I found the novel's moralizing tone a bit much for beach reading

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moralizing

2 of 3

noun

as in preaching

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moralizing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of moralize
as in lecturing

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 moralizing
Adjective
This is a radical concept in today’s mental health culture, shaped by social media’s moralizing and rampant shaming. — Josh Penn Soskin, Variety, 16 July 2026 Trey Parker and Matt Stone created a show directly informed by millennials and Gen Xers growing up in a culture of gun violence, fear, moralizing, bigotry, war and division. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 June 2026 Most of the roughly 200 episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger have the moralizing flavor of after-school specials, albeit weirdly violent ones. — Chris Klimek, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
Easy moralizing would be wrong, but moral indifference might be impossible. — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026 Critically, the moralizing over climate change is gone. — Justin Worland, Time, 22 May 2026 Her moralizing of Vernice’s character, which doesn’t happen in reverse, was fascinating to me. — Tembe Denton-Hurst, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2026 This is where the sanctimony and the moralizing comes in. — Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026 But the framing of the piece skews moralizing and voyeuristic. — Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025 The host, Shaina Shealy, tells a complex, sometimes raw story, resisting easy moralizing about the lives of her subjects. — Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025 Unfortunately, the bulk of the requisite moralizing falls mainly to Palmer’s socially conscious Elena, saddled with one too many speeches about making a difference, which puts a damper on the actress’ customary energetic spark. — Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025 Set in London in 1749, the story discourages easy moralizing about guilt and justice. — Monitor Reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moralizing
  1. moralistic
  2. preaching
  3. lecturing
  4. didactic
  5. pontificating
  6. preachy
  7. exhortation
  8. instructive
Adjective
  • Navy excels at untangling human emotions and picking through them without being didactic or moralistic.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
  • Last year, a YouTube channel called Akhbar Enfejari (Explosive News) began posting a variety of digital content with a political and moralistic bent.
    — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of moralistic
Noun
  • The new wave of televangelists blended charismatic preaching with calls for donations as well as increasing calls to political action.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
  • In those days, there were divinity-school students from Yale, Andover, and Amherst preaching abolition and establishing schools throughout the frontier.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
Definition of preaching
Verb
  • In no way, shape or form should an INDYCAR driver be lecturing NASCAR on the excitement level of races.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
  • He was internationally known as an expert on the work of William Faulkner, teaching and lecturing around the world on the Nobel Prize winner.
    — Rebecca McCarthy, AJC.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of lecturing
Adjective
  • The landscape is didactic, insistent.
    — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • Critics have speculated about why Virgil would choose to end his didactic pastoral epic with such a story.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 June 2026
Definition of didactic
Noun
  • If all that is a little too cerebral, viewers can wait out the pontificating until the next performance comes along.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Definition of pontificating
Adjective
  • After a promising start as one of ESPN's true rising stars, Ogwumike has grown increasingly preachy and uninformed.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • Stay curious but don’t become too preachy.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026
Definition of preachy
Noun
  • Their exhortations to get rich quick, drive fast cars and aggressively treat women as property are followed by millions of people online.
    — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 22 July 2026
  • Lundberg writes that the poem is both an explication of the promise of America and an exhortation to persevere on behalf of the country.
    — The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
Definition of exhortation
Adjective
  • The transition from the British pound to the US dollar provides an instructive if imperfect case study.
    — Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Fortune, 17 July 2026
  • There’s no outstanding candidate available to England and, while Tuchel clearly got the second half against Argentina badly wrong, there’s merit in allowing that semi-final to become an instructive experience going forward.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of instructive

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Cite this Entry

“Moralizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moralizing. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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