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
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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
All of this is impressive enough, but there are tales that the bible was written in a single night by none other than the Dark Lord himself, not a pious scribe.
—
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
So thoroughly did European missionaries stigmatize Inuit beliefs that, even now, the more pious members of an older generation consider an appreciation of Indigenous spirits to be a sign of something demonic afoot.
—Dawn Chan, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Medieval sumptuary laws dictated who could wear what—velvet for nobles, pearls for the pious, gold for the crown.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025
By then something had happened to the sober, pious minds of the new right.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pious
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
So thoroughly did European missionaries stigmatize Inuit beliefs that, even now, the more pious members of an older generation consider an appreciation of Indigenous spirits to be a sign of something demonic afoot.
—Dawn Chan, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Medieval sumptuary laws dictated who could wear what—velvet for nobles, pearls for the pious, gold for the crown.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025
By then something had happened to the sober, pious minds of the new right.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pious
Adjective
-
His madman approach seems to not be working, as the EU seems steadfast against him (while here at home, President Gordo’s madness is still very evident).—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
All the while we will be encouraged by our steadfast belief that the sacred garment that is our country needs us, its warp and weft threads.—
Scott Santarosa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Schemmel, a devout Christian, has done charitable work for decades, ever since that awful day in July 1989 when 112 people died in a fiery crash of United Airlines Flight 232 in Sioux City, Iowa.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2026
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No one mistakes him for a devout Christian or a person of faith or morality.—
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Gusler’s own loyalty to the character of the PR has been rewarded with a clientele that’s equally loyal.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
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The Olay Regenerist line has tons of loyal users, like the Regenerating Serum and Vitamin C Moisturizer.—
Olivia Dubyak,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The court found Kim guilty of accepting bribes from the controversial religious sect Unification Church, including a Chanel bag and a Graff diamond necklace.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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Basilicas were largely used for civic, not religious, purposes before Rome adopted Christianity.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Trump’s remarks regarding firearms since the death of Pretti have stirred major concerns among his GOP base, the majority of whom are staunch defenders of the Second Amendment.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
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Raymond, a quadriplegic for over a decade, has spent years as Chairman of the Regional Transit Authority Board of Commissioners, taking on the city's staunch preservationists.—
Sophie Morgan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Tuna says everyone who has come to see the art has left feeling a bit more reverent.—
Marah Eakin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The moment set a solemn but reverent tone, equally grand and intimate.—
Maliha Shoaib,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Acclaimed for its dedication to long-form storytelling, early CGI VFX attempts, and faithful depiction of spaceflight physics, its online fanbase remains massive and the show is remembered as a space opera operating on a sophisticated level.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The text is unchanged, and the design is faithful to the play’s setting – Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, at the turn of the 20th century.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The three men—Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders—conducted a 27-minute cosmic travelogue and, at the end, on that cold, holy night, took turns reading from the Book of Genesis.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
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And, holy cats, what a beautiful dream.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pious. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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