unrighteous

adjective

ˌən-ˈrī-chəs How to pronounce unrighteous (audio)
Definition of unrighteousnext
as in unlawful
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable an unrighteous act that cannot go unpunished by the congregation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 unrighteous Ivey recently described the LGBTQ community as unrighteous in a live stream from his Instagram account. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 31 Mar. 2026 Ancient sacred writings teach us to avoid using unrighteous means to oppose the unrighteous demands of wicked rulers. — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026 Spears writes of these unrighteous men matter-of-factly, avoiding the ad hominem attack, except for an occasional delicious arrow, including a recollection of the eternally white Timberlake meeting one of his rap heroes. — Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 24 Oct. 2023 Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous. — Olivia Muenter, Woman's Day, 8 Feb. 2023 Many people, after all, think that the righteous should prosper and the unrighteous not. — Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 27 July 2021 He’s gone through buzzard-hot streaks and some slumps, at times taking wholly unrighteous shots, and none of that matters to the shooting guard. — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Apr. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrighteous
  1. unlawful
  2. immoral
  3. evil
  4. sinful
  5. wicked
  6. vicious
  7. vile
  8. bad
Adjective
  • The next year Williams was charged in the Southern District of Iowa for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in the kidnapping case.
    — Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Federal authorities later charged him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unlawful
Adjective
  • Central to the exhibition is the tension between the honorable and the immoral, the appealing and the revolting.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial premiered at New York Film Festival last night and left many people wondering, Just how funny can a movie about both the terrible capacity of generative AI and the immoral people in charge of it be?
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of immoral
Adjective
  • Declonius Peck, its beloved editor-in-chief, has gone to prison for embezzlement, and his evil twin, Salton, has assumed management of the family business, along with the 39 editors who curate the periodical.
    — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The film focuses on Merry, the first witch born on Christmas Day, who must defeat a coven of evil witches that has kidnapped Santa Claus in a bid to destroy Christmas.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of evil
Adjective
  • Judaism teaches that human beings are not inherently sinful, destructive or a detriment to the world.
    — Meir Moscowitz, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026
  • My prescribed low-carb, caffeine-free diet sounded horrifying on paper, but my sinful pleasures were replaced with a tasty, high-quality, and healthy alternative that left me more energized.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
Definition of sinful
Adjective
  • To avenge an injustice and restore honor, a good yakuza, like Ken-san, would set off alone for a suicidal last stand against his wicked rivals.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • That unholy resurrection gives William some wicked supernatural powers to go along with his slick swordplay.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of wicked
Adjective
  • On a blistering surprise EP, Deafheaven find the vicious attack and grandiose drama of symphonic black metal perfectly suited to their purposes.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Lynch was on the outside trying to gather herself after the vicious table slam.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • The win of the vile film NZA [sic] at the Venice Festival is shocking.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Kiju looked at me, took my hand, and walked around the woman and out into the night air as those inside gasped and moved to help the vile woman.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • But then came the nightmare of Game 3, one of the Sox’s worst performances in weeks.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Specifically, people with worse fever tended to have more of a protein called flagellin in their systems than those with little to no fever.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bad

Browse Nearby Words

unriddling
unrighteous
unrighteousness
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Cite this Entry

“Unrighteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrighteous. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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