PIOUSNESS Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

piousness

noun

Definition of piousness

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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 piousness At the height of her piousness, Adele is confronted with a substitute English teacher, Bromley Stokes, a hippie from San Francisco, who, to her dismay, changes all the rules of school. — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 Christianity is one of the state’s primary means of control, but for the girls who grew up at the Aunt Lydia School, piousness is real. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for piousness

Noun

Yes, a bit of deception has long been standard in listing photos — a wide lens, a bit of color saturation to make a viewless window appear brighter — but the tools today are more sophisticated, cheaper, and pretty ubiquitous.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 21 July 2026
Nolan reinvents him as a naive young soldier left outside the horse to sell Odysseus’ deception.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of deception

Noun

The saints’ books, rich vestments and formal poses were visible signs of holiness, symbolizing their learning, discipline and eloquence.

— Denva Gallant, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Others limit prayer to God alone and emphasize remembering saints primarily as historical models of holiness.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026

Definition of holiness

Noun

These artists are setting the soundtrack to a cultural shift, driven by Gen Z, back to church, religion and spirituality.

— Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Neptune can represent imagination, spirituality, idealism and illusion, while Aries is concerned with selfhood, courage and initiation.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

Definition of spirituality

Noun

The one where a man, his mother, and his entire army are slaughtered by deceit?

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 16 July 2026
The two chief executives are just a few months removed from a lawsuit in which Musk, one of the founders of OpenAI, accused Altman of deceit and breach of contract by shifting the company from its nonprofit mission to a for-profit enterprise.

— Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Definition of deceit

Noun

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
Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.

— Sue Brightman, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Jan. 2025

Definition of deceptiveness

Noun

The steering wheel is flat at the top and bottom—a race-car affectation that feels correct in here—and has a button for the Boost function and another to adjust the aero, but is otherwise refreshingly simple.

— Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 7 July 2026
In the wrong hands, those points of reference could land like an affectation, but instead, the band’s embrace of them feels genuine.

— Nick Laskin, Pitchfork, 20 May 2026

Definition of affectation

Noun

It was made that much worse when several cast members laughed at her insincerity and Maddi Reese interrupted it several times because there was a stray cat nearby that terrified her.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 May 2026
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

Definition of insincerity

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pious

piousness

pip

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“Piousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piousness. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of piousness

noun

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