as in pious
formal + disapproving
pretending to be morally better than other people
sanctimonious politicians A sanctimonious speech from someone who refused to acknowledge his own past failings.
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Recent Examples of sanctimonious
The smug and sanctimonious tenor of their briefing makes that plain.
—
Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
In fact, whiny, self-contradictory, and sanctimonious art has achieved a great deal of cultural-political, though not necessarily artistic, success.
—Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 June 2025
The sanctimonious proto-Communist bait of Good Night, and Good Luck
Activist-actor George Clooney confirms his hyphenate status by adapting his vapid 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck for the Broadway stage.
—Armond White, National Review, 30 Apr. 2025
The sanctimonious Trudeau, a lightning rod for the anti-woke backlash that exists even in Canada, resigned.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanctimonious
Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
In fact, whiny, self-contradictory, and sanctimonious art has achieved a great deal of cultural-political, though not necessarily artistic, success.
—Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 June 2025
The sanctimonious proto-Communist bait of Good Night, and Good Luck
Activist-actor George Clooney confirms his hyphenate status by adapting his vapid 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck for the Broadway stage.
—Armond White, National Review, 30 Apr. 2025
The sanctimonious Trudeau, a lightning rod for the anti-woke backlash that exists even in Canada, resigned.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanctimonious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctimonious
Adjective
-
Supported, at least initially, by his pious wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), and his two teenage daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki), Iman and his clan seem set for a comfy bourgeois life.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
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According to Singh, Bishnoi has cultivated the public persona of a pious man dedicated to God and justice.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
To me, that feels like a meaningless question in most cases, because the violence is here.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
If the cosmic ray bound turns out to be meaningless, r is allowed to be even lower.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sanctimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctimonious. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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