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

This, rather than sanctimonious display, is what should motivate Christians.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
There are few things in this world more sanctimonious and hypocritical than left-wing sportswriters getting on their faux moral high horse.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026

Definition of sanctimonious

Adjective

Of course, the senior consultant wasn't actually calling customers dishonest.

— Natalie Lemke, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
There is an endless list of important takeaways from the new information, notably that Fauci was repeatedly and purposefully dishonest in order to get the public to comply with his policies and recommendations.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of dishonest

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

As her condition advances, the story folds in her strained bonds with her daughter, played by Wen Qi, and her father, played by Fifth Generation filmmaker Tian Zhuangzhuang.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, strained yogurt remained mainly a homemade food in immigrant households until 1998, when FAGE began selling strained yogurt imported from Greece.

— Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of strained

Adjective

Without that foundation, AI initiatives risk becoming superficial overlays on legacy infrastructure not designed to support them.

— William Jones, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Commentary on his work often describes it as a critique of race or capitalism but gingerly avoids the more superficial observation that these behaviors have a resemblance to certain presentations of psychosis.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of superficial

Adjective

Some players cited the league’s partnerships with sports betting companies as hypocritical or even laying the foundation for this sort of scandal.

— Zack Meisel, New York Times, 28 July 2026
Amendments placed on the ballot by lawmakers would still need only a statewide majority — a distinction critics call hypocritical.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026

Definition of hypocritical

Adjective

One thing that makes Rodriguez such a great fit in what the Dolphins want to do defensively is his propensity to punch the ball out for forced fumbles.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Citadel managed about $71 billion in assets as of July 1 and has often used periods of market dislocation to deploy capital into distressed or forced-selling situations.

— Yun Li, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026