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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pious
Chelsea Leu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
For pious viewers who may traditionally shy away from the horror genre, The Bondsman may surprise with some very tender and spiritual moments.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
Paxton, pious to the end, responds by talking about the Great Prayer Experiment, a (very real) series of studies that sought to test whether prayer has any tangible healing impact — and conclusively found there to be not.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
As the emboldened queen is beheaded, King Henry is seen preparing to wed his third wife, the pious and soft-spoken Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips).
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pious
Adjective
Each letter comes across as a set piece, a small achievement of style and tone: Vasari’s flowery, deferential missives to the duke, Maria’s youthful ardor and confusion, the overly pious cattiness of a nun.
—Chelsea Leu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
For pious viewers who may traditionally shy away from the horror genre, The Bondsman may surprise with some very tender and spiritual moments.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
Paxton, pious to the end, responds by talking about the Great Prayer Experiment, a (very real) series of studies that sought to test whether prayer has any tangible healing impact — and conclusively found there to be not.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
As the emboldened queen is beheaded, King Henry is seen preparing to wed his third wife, the pious and soft-spoken Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips).
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pious
Adjective
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His close friends and colleagues often described him as loyal, deeply thoughtful, and warm in his own way—just not overly expressive.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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The friends not keen on competing become our valiant team of producers — recording content and posting updates live for our loyal Instagram fanbase (almost 200 followers).—
Mia Venkat,
NPR,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
In 2023, Caviezel, a devout Catholic, starred in mega box office breakout Sound Of Freedom, produced by faith-friendly Angel Studios, and is next due to reprise his role as Jesus in Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
17 May 2025
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Local family members and friends know the new pontiff as a lifelong devout Catholic and former altar boy who makes frequent trips back home to the Chicago area, cheering for the White Sox and enjoying a slice of Aurelio’s pizza when back in town.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
As an escaped convict posing as a beloved preacher, and as his gentle, upright twin, Robeson embodies a devastating split between appearance and truth, and whose uncanny doubling plays out in a community shaped by racial violence, spiritual deception, and economic precarity.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
21 May 2025
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Ellie, however, cannot abide Joel’s deception, and interrupts to tell the truth to Gail, who then slaps Joel and tells him to leave.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
G‑d’s purpose in creating the world was that all of creation be sanctified, imbuing it with holiness and spirituality.—
Rabbi Moishe Kievman,
Sun Sentinel,
20 May 2025
-
Pope Leo’s election has instantly made the rituals of the Vatican feel a touch more familiar to Americans—and perhaps made the idea of holiness feel a touch more attainable.—
Christopher Hale,
Time,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Alternatively, seersucker remains a steadfast warm-weather favorite—especially for those who appreciate a touch of New England preppiness.—
Brett F. Braley-Palko,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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The single combines the guitarist’s weighted influence with the música mexicana group’s steadfast ambition.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Some of those details are in opposition to one another – the ancient and the modern, the religious and the secular -particularly in Riyadh.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
27 May 2025
-
The Nazis’ demonization of ethnic and religious minorities, as well as political opponents, led to the Holocaust.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Noun
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But a groundswell of protest art was answering the call with a new kind of ardent feeling that damned the false piety and hypocrisy of homophobic Christian doctrine.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
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This becomes fuel for a spiraling breakdown, for Taylor and for all the other women, full of DMs and text-thread images shown on-camera as evidence of various hypocrisies.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
19 May 2025
Noun
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For now, he’s decided attending university is the best path, but opted to spend his first year of school in Rome to deepen his spirituality.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2025
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In a glowing review, McNulty applauds the mechanics, performances and set design of the play, which plumbs the depths of spirituality through magical realism brought to bear onstage.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pious. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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