1
as in loyal
firm in one's allegiance to someone or something
a pious supporter of his school's athletic teams, during winning and losing seasons alike
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pious
Contemporary accounts describe Antoine as a pious person, initially committed to Catholicism, then to spiritualism.
—
Emilien Hofman (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025
On one hand, the nun has a pious profession.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2025
If some punters were irritatingly pious, many also had the time of their life.
—Martin McKenzie-Murray, SPIN, 7 Jan. 2025
The pious townspeople eat food for sustenance, not enjoyment, and for over a decade Babette dutifully prepares a rather drab-looking bread soup for the sisters, per their instructions.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pious
Emilien Hofman (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025
On one hand, the nun has a pious profession.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2025
If some punters were irritatingly pious, many also had the time of their life.
—Martin McKenzie-Murray, SPIN, 7 Jan. 2025
The pious townspeople eat food for sustenance, not enjoyment, and for over a decade Babette dutifully prepares a rather drab-looking bread soup for the sisters, per their instructions.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pious
Adjective
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The loyal throngs of fans that stuck around, even as the crowd dwindled, were duly rewarded when, a few hours later, Lorde arrived in the flesh to perform.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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Despite this, its loyal fan base continued to grow, waiting for the day that the original SNK fighting game — which, to some, was a true successor to the roots of Street Fighter — would return.—
Jason Fanelli,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And hey, even the most devout among us can't argue with that.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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The Kremlin and its far-right proxies now paint Ivan as a great statesman and devout Russian Orthodox Christian who laid the foundations of the Russian Empire.—
Dina Khapaeva,
The Conversation,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Decade after decade, the city remains steadfast in the face of adversity.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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Among those who left in time, some remained steadfast in their lifelong friendships, as did their children.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Francis urged political leaders to guard against religious extremism and warned Catholics not to force their faith on others during a 2024 visit to Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Ryan Burge, a leading researcher on American religious trends, told McClatchy News the approval rating among non-Catholics — specifically the religiously unaffiliated — is notable.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The older generation, considered as staunch wealth preservers, are deciding to enjoy their wealth now rather than simply passing it on.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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Pelosi, who wrote off the matter for a long period of time, seemed to back down on her staunch opinions ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The learning process for me over the course of the first two years was to not be as reverent of the original.—
Rick Porter,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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The Sundance online platform has allowed for a more democratic festival experience (feature film tickets cost $35) when stacked against its peer events, which are reverent to theaters only and in less accessible locations.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The Lenovo faithful will miss the signature red TrackPoint in the center of the keyboard, and typing on the ThinkPad X9 is a definite downgrade from the usual ThinkPad.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
21 Apr. 2025
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Kirill is the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, a faithful backer of the Russian leader and an advocate for the war in Ukraine.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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As the world mourns Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, age 88—a symbolic end following the Church’s holiest calendar.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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This was the power that Francis wanted the Church to embrace: a gentle, holy power, one that cooperates with divine power, and therefore the real power in this world, which alone is capable of creating a new future.—
Austen Ivereigh,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pious. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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