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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-righteous
They are sent off to a grandmother in Ontario who is the epitome of cold, self-righteous Protestant virtue.
—
Margaret Atwood, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
Today's Democratic party is dominated by self-righteous, upper-middle class, coastal elites—people wealthy enough to avoid sending their children to failing public schools and able to overlook the true costs of their green agenda.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
This is usually where the self-righteous defenders of Trump’s blatantly unconstitutional tactics insist that the protections of the Constitution only apply to U.S. citizens.
—Nisha Whitehead, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
William is a self-righteous and conspiracy-minded and ruthlessly ambitious man who hides his darker side behind a charming facade.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-righteous
Margaret Atwood, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
Today's Democratic party is dominated by self-righteous, upper-middle class, coastal elites—people wealthy enough to avoid sending their children to failing public schools and able to overlook the true costs of their green agenda.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
This is usually where the self-righteous defenders of Trump’s blatantly unconstitutional tactics insist that the protections of the Constitution only apply to U.S. citizens.
—Nisha Whitehead, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
William is a self-righteous and conspiracy-minded and ruthlessly ambitious man who hides his darker side behind a charming facade.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-righteous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-righteous
Adjective
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The baron and his pious daughter seem at peace with their mutual estrangement until Zsa-zsa suddenly decides to break that habit.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
-
But while the main character’s mother in that movie was an antagonistic figure, Fatima’s parents are portrayed as kind, not dogmatic or ostentatiously pious.—
Jon Frosch,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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The sanctimonious Trudeau, a lightning rod for the anti-woke backlash that exists even in Canada, resigned.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Harvard’s dishonest expert on honesty is a poignant symbol of a far larger problem in academia: ideological allegiance replacing the quest for truth.—
Andrew Follett,
National Review,
31 May 2025
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On one hand, the inquiry appeared to play into his rivals’ criticisms of Mr. Cuomo as a dishonest broker, who has been accused of putting nursing home residents at risk during the coronavirus pandemic and seeking to cover it up.—
Nicholas Fandos,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Those on the left must recognize that their moralistic zeal and narrowing of intellectual discourse have turned educational and cultural institutions into engines of alienation, not trust.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
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Aster isn’t merely mocking them; his real point is that moralistic self-righteousness has become a kind of addiction in America.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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His strained, sandpaper-coarse timbre served as an ideal conduit for songs concerned with boisterous revelries, shady agreements, licentious intentions and musical pleasures.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
-
Wallner, who has been on the injured list with a strained hamstring since mid-April, hit two home runs on Thursday in his first rehab game and had another three hits and three RBIs on Friday.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Full look: Burberry; socks: stylist’s own Gorka Postigo The phenomenon of celebrities speaking out about current events can sometimes feel superficial, but Ramsey is quick to affirm the opposite of Pascal.—
Peyton Dix,
Them.,
27 May 2025
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Some journalists refused to use AI for anything more than superficial interview transcription, while others use it broadly, to edit text, answer research questions, summarize large bodies of science text, or search massive troves of data for salient bits of information.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
Kathleen O’Leary, Boca Raton Get a mirror, Marco The Republican Party is the most hypocritical group of politicians this country has ever seen, and Marco Rubio its biggest hypocrite of all.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2025
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If that strikes you as a little suspicious, maybe even hypocritical, well, have both Bechdels got a book for you.—
Sam Thielman,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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When downturns hit, too much leverage turns strong companies into forced sellers.—
IESE Business School,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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Christine Edwards is also charged with a conspiracy to commit forced labor.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-righteous. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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