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
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Recent Examples of self-righteous
In calmer times, a leader expounding from such heights risks sounding preachy and self-righteous.
—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
In the early days of the drugs’ rollout, a high price tag and a nationwide shortage made off-label A-list users a target of self-righteous mockery.
—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
Open and humorous in person, he was described by critics – and even some supporters – as stubborn, didactic and self-righteous.
—
Nicole West Bassoff,
The Conversation,
14 Nov. 2025
Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.
—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-righteous
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
In the early days of the drugs’ rollout, a high price tag and a nationwide shortage made off-label A-list users a target of self-righteous mockery.
—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
Open and humorous in person, he was described by critics – and even some supporters – as stubborn, didactic and self-righteous.
—
Nicole West Bassoff,
The Conversation,
14 Nov. 2025
Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.
—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-righteous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-righteous
Adjective
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However, this distinction did more than pit pious Americans against an atheist enemy.
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In Wake-Keeper (2026), a roughly four-by-five-foot canvas, a pious man draped in the red cloth of traditional Ghanaian funeral attire sits on a stool with his hands clasped, his body facing the left side of the frame.
Adjective
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There are few things in this world more sanctimonious and hypocritical than left-wing sportswriters getting on their faux moral high horse.
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That’s when the movie takes a direction that’s both maudlin in the true sense of the word and ultimately even sanctimonious regarding the heroine’s sudden redemption.
Adjective
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An honest summary would still pass the buck to the voters on a grossly dishonest scheme, but at least the voters might recognize a description that doesn’t cajole, coax and mislead them.
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What is obvious is that the only thing as dishonest as FIFA’s insistence that the breaks are only because of its concerns about players’ health is FIFA’s claiming that the stoppages don’t impact matches.
Adjective
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Navy excels at untangling human emotions and picking through them without being didactic or moralistic.
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Last year, a YouTube channel called Akhbar Enfejari (Explosive News) began posting a variety of digital content with a political and moralistic bent.
Adjective
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Austin Nieves, a recent transplant to the area and the man who had brought this brave group together, broke the strained silence by handing out beers.
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Dani provides the voiceover, filled with strained metaphors about earthquakes and sermons on the importance of summer, but the pretense that the dialogue is taken from his interrogation is quickly abandoned.
Adjective
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For food companies, switching to another supplier or type of protein isn’t a superficial switch.
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Some suggest his superficial charm is giving a false picture of his political talents.
Adjective
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There are few things in this world more sanctimonious and hypocritical than left-wing sportswriters getting on their faux moral high horse.
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Earlier this month, Matsui’s campaign came after Vang for taking corporate donations from Sacramento-area businesses during her city council campaigns, implying that Vang’s vows to not accept money from corporate PACs in her congressional bid is hypocritical.
Adjective
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There is a major difference between price weakness caused by deteriorating fundamentals and price weakness caused by forced or indifferent selling.
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Brazil, facing mounting economic pressure from the United States, is fast-tracking a decade-old legislative proposal to block imports of goods made with forced, compulsory or child labor.
Cite this Entry
“Self-righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-righteous. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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