PIOUS Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

pious

adjective

ˈpī-əs

Definition of pious

as in steadfast

firm in one's allegiance to someone or something a pious supporter of his school's athletic teams, during winning and losing seasons alike

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in devout

showing a devotion to God and to a life of virtue a pious woman who decided to become a nun

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pious However, this distinction did more than pit pious Americans against an atheist enemy. — David Williamson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026 In Wake-Keeper (2026), a roughly four-by-five-foot canvas, a pious man draped in the red cloth of traditional Ghanaian funeral attire sits on a stool with his hands clasped, his body facing the left side of the frame. — Lovia Gyarkye, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026 The aim wasn’t to make the chatbot Bible-thumping or pious. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 26 May 2026 Maria, austere and deeply pious, runs the business with an iron hand, obsessed with making the family’s origins forgotten. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for pious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pious

Adjective

Miller has remained steadfast in his commitment to stay in the race despite GOP calls for the second-term congressman to step down, as well as a House Ethics Committee investigation.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2026
That interloper was Shadow, who became Jackie's steadfast mate right up until her hospitalization last month.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of steadfast

Adjective

Ghalib was a devout Muslim yet drank wine despite Islam’s prohibition on alcohol.

— Aishwarya Lakshmi, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026
Adenauer, De Gasperi, and Schuman were all devout Catholics, and Monnet, though not a religious man, was born into a pious Catholic family.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of devout

Adjective

Consumers have become more responsive to discovery — and less loyal than traditional retail shoppers.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
While their team has the highest total payroll in MLB this year, the Mets have subjected their loyal supporters to last-place baseball and a losing record on their home field.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of loyal

Adjective

The editor of the journal Kayhan, Hossein Shariatmadari, wrote that enforcement is both a legal obligation and a religious duty for officials.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Whether to use the stations is a private choice, and any individual may use the facilities for either a secular or religious purpose.

— Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of religious

Adjective

But concerns about Israel’s ability and willingness to rein in the settlers remain even among evangelicals, who are among the staunchest Christian supporters of Israel.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Supreme Court wants swift action Hoskins, a staunch supporter of the map, has boasted about the case on social media.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of staunch

Adjective

These movies always run the risk of being overly reverent, and for better and worse, Johnson’s take on Bourdain’s formative years is not concerned with reverence.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
The Lost Boys gave us the chance to create something that feels reverent toward the film while still staking its own claim.

— Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of reverent

Adjective

Existing model signing tools address byte integrity but not faithful quantization.

— Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
The Braves lost to the Twins, 4-2, in the series opener, a game delayed 51 minutes because of inclement weather and then began with an opening frame that probably had Braves faithful wishing there’d been a lengthier postponement.

— Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of faithful

Adjective

Especially when, during a timeless, holy ritual, your daughter starts rocking out in front of the congregation.

— Risa Polansky Shiman, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Far-right extremists are even encouraging Jewish-Arab violence atop the Temple Mount, the most sacred site in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam, which could ignite anti-Israel religious violence and terrorism in the region.

— Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of holy

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pioneers

pious

piousness

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“Pious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pious. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pious

adjective

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