pious

adjective

ˈpī-əs How to pronounce pious (audio)
Definition of piousnext
1
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 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 While Cal's postgraduation life in Edinburgh sounds bleak, returning to his sternly pious father after a taste of modernity and freedom is less enticing still. — Paula Cooper, CBS News, 5 May 2026 As Mildred Layton, the pious pastor’s wife first played on screen by Kristin Chenoweth, Ana Gasteyer is in her element. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026 The Colombian grandmother of my childhood summers was funny, mean, pious, and hard—despite being tremendously sensitive in her own way. — Adriana E. Ramírez, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pious
  1. steadfast
  2. devout
  3. loyal
  4. religious
  5. staunch
  6. reverent
  7. faithful
  8. holy
Adjective
  • To his supporters, Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the steadfast, fearless leader who transcended mere politics and inspired devotion.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Each project generated steadfast opposition from the city's neighborhoods, calling into question how the city should regulate the advanced technology centers.
    — Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2026
Definition of steadfast
Adjective
  • Candace Cameron Bure Candace Cameron Bure, who is a devout Christian, often combines expressions of faith with messages celebrating America.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • But after more than eight years of devout civil service, Jonas lost that fulfilling federal job.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of devout
Adjective
  • Capron, who starred as Greg Heffley’s loyal best friend in the adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, became a breakout child actor thanks to the franchise.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026
  • According to a study by SiriusXM Media, podcast listeners tend to be loyal to their favorite hosts.
    — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of loyal
Adjective
  • Patron saints of emergency responders, these religious figures were supposed to be unveiled at the police and fire headquarters.
    — Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2026
  • There are no longer religious figures like Billy Graham who serve as the unofficial spokespeople for American Christianity.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 11 July 2026
Definition of religious
Adjective
  • Lithuania, which borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, has been one of Ukraine's staunchest allies during Russian President Vladimir Putin's more than four-year conflict with Kyiv, providing extensive military equipment and financial support.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • Margo, a staunch Conservative neighbor of the couple, was disapproving of the pair’s decisions, and Keith’s performance would win her the 1977 BAFTA TV Award for best light entertainment.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026
Definition of staunch
Adjective
  • Not a hushed and reverent scene at all, lively and fun.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
  • This is a lovely, if rather decorous and reverent, tale of an illicit affair that’s unlikely to cause as much noise as Dhont’s last two films.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 22 May 2026
Definition of reverent
Adjective
  • But why, wonder faithful midtown shoppers who aren’t ready to part ways with their regular spot?
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026
  • Final says that, for the listener, this supports faster transient response, lower distortion and a more faithful reproduction of the original recording.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of faithful
Adjective
  • The Iraqi city is considered among the holiest for millions of Shiite Muslims around the world.
    — Jamie Gray, NBC news, 9 July 2026
  • Khamenei's body arrived Tuesday in Najaf, considered one of the holiest of cities for millions of Shiite Muslims worldwide.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of holy

Browse Nearby Words

pioneers
pious
piousness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pious. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pious

Nglish: Translation of pious for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All