1
as in deception
the pretending of having virtues, principles, or beliefs that one in fact does not have
an outward piousness that was just a ploy to get him the support of religious-minded voters
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in holiness
the quality or state of being spiritually pure or virtuous
the piousness with which he lived every aspect of his life was an inspiration to the other monks at the abbey
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piousness
Noun
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Named one of the 10 Best Books of 2025 by The New York Times, Angel Down follows Private Cyril Bagger, who has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of WWI through his wits and deception, swindling fellow soldiers at every opportunity.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026 -
The drama about power, deception, and the complex bond between father and son is set in 1930s New York as international financier Gregor Antonescu’s empire faces collapse.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For millions of people, for more than 2,000 years, the advent has represented an opportunity to reflect, to anticipate—to make holiness out of the spiritual equivalent of standing in line, to sit in stillness during the year’s darkest time and know the light is coming.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
18 Nov. 2025
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Here, and in the show’s finale, Lipton nails a very Wilderean combination of bluntness, holiness, and dry humor.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But even at a progressive institution like Antioch, Coretta encountered the quiet betrayal of liberal hypocrisy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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As has become tradition for Jon Stewart‘s Monday evening hosting stints for The Daily Show, the political comic had to work hard to detangle all the webs of hypocrisy exemplified by the right wing — this time, in relation to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With Neptune entering Aries on January 26th, your sector of travel, higher learning, spirituality, and belief systems is activated for the next thirteen years.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
25 Jan. 2026
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Drawing on the ancient tradition of praying to venerable trees — seen as conduits between heaven and earth — the installation reframes the practice as a symbolic bridge between Eastern spirituality and Western luxury.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But Prosecutor Ben Ladinig argued any grains of authenticity in Haobsh's life were far outweighed by deceit.—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Now, though levees may not exactly be back, royal affectations and the disputes that go with them are.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
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That’s probably an affectation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Allen’s combo of flip insincerity and kindly concern is a terrific treat, recalling Bill Murray at his doofy best.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
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In an era of skepticism, audiences quickly detect insincerity.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Piousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piousness. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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