SELF-RIGHTEOUS Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

self-righteous

adjective

Definition of self-righteous

as in pious

disapproving having or showing a strong belief that your own actions, opinions, etc., are right and other people's are wrong a self-righteous tone It's OK to criticize, but don't get self-righteous about it.

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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 self-righteous Democrats who want to be self-righteous about their MAGA relatives, or sit back in their plush armchairs and diagnose Biden as being senile and blame his aides for hiding it, need to wake up. — Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026 There is nothing worse than a self-righteous Big J journalist. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026 This admission is met with varying levels of shock and dismay from her three companions, ranging from nervous equivocation from her fiancé to self-righteous anger from Rachel. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Apr. 2026 The only certainty in these films is that the self-righteous Optimus Prime will always preach some long-winded, sleep-inducing monologue at the end of the movie before a radio-friendly Linkin Park or Imagine Dragons song blares over the credits. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-righteous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-righteous

Adjective

Adenauer, De Gasperi, and Schuman were all devout Catholics, and Monnet, though not a religious man, was born into a pious Catholic family.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Philemon and Baucis, a pious Phrygian couple, hospitably received the disguised Zeus and Hermes after their richer neighbors had refused to do so.

— Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 July 2026

Definition of pious

Adjective

The thing is, McEnany, co-creator Tim Mason, and a team of executive producers that included Lilly Wachowski as well as Sweeney immediately subvert any expectation of a sanctimonious or self-serious exploration of identity.

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
This, rather than sanctimonious display, is what should motivate Christians.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of sanctimonious

Adjective

Navy excels at untangling human emotions and picking through them without being didactic or moralistic.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
Last year, a YouTube channel called Akhbar Enfejari (Explosive News) began posting a variety of digital content with a political and moralistic bent.

— Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026

Definition of moralistic

Adjective

Some are dealing with strained budgets and exorbitant medical bills, while others avoid the doctor in fear of the cost.

— Ali Swenson, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
Based on a Naver Webtoon of the same name that has amassed almost 3 billion views, the 10-part series follows the strained relationship of the Empress Navier and her husband Emperor Sovieshu.

— Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of strained

Adjective

The privileges of Jover’s life appear entirely superficial, even a bit alien, when contrasted with her granddaughter’s narrative thread.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
So, when the next challenge arises, managers can move past superficial symptoms and identify the underlying organizational roadblocks.

— Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of superficial

Adjective

There is something deeply hypocritical about discovering and using the language of women’s liberation only when your own status, reputation, or income is at stake.

— Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
That some people in these industries, including those who are well paid, would look at our economy and seek out other ways of doing things is neither hypocritical nor surprising.

— Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026