self-righteous

adjective

self-righ·​teous ˌself-ˈrī-chəs How to pronounce self-righteous (audio)
Synonyms of self-righteous
: convinced of one's own righteousness especially in contrast with the actions and beliefs of others : narrow-mindedly moralistic
self-righteously adverb
self-righteousness noun

Examples of self-righteous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In calmer times, a leader expounding from such heights risks sounding preachy and self-righteous. — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026 There is nothing worse than a self-righteous Big J journalist. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026 In the novel, the servant Joseph is a self-righteous zealot who’s always banging on about the Bible. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026 Undoubtedly, Bezos believes that all the criticism that has come his way is naïve, self-righteous, and terribly unfair. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-righteous

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1680, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-righteous was circa 1680

Rhymes for self-righteous

See All Rhymes for self-righteous

Browse Nearby Words

self-ridicule
self-righteous
self-righting
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-righteous. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

self-righteous

adjective
self-righ·​teous
ˈsel-ˈfrī-chəs
: strongly convinced of the rightness of one's actions or beliefs
self-righteously adverb
self-righteousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on self-righteous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for self-righteous

Nglish: Translation of self-righteous for Spanish Speakers

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