as in smug
disapproving
having or showing the annoying attitude of people who believe that they are morally better than other people
a holier-than-thou attitude
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Recent Examples of holier-than-thou
But there’s a line between analysis and holier-than-thou bloviation.
—
Mara Reinstein, HollywoodReporter, 24 Nov. 2025
WalletHub made sure that no state walked away feeling entirely holier-than-thou.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 19 Aug. 2025
After all, Bill can be a buzzkill, and the Hills’ other neighbors, such as the conspiratorial Dale Gribble across the alley and the holier-than-thou Minh and Kahn Souphanousinphone next door, are flawed too.
—Adrienne Matei, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025
And Velia Martínez, who played the Spanish-speaking, holier-than-thou grandmother set in her ways, was born in Tampa, fluent in English and a longtime actress in Mexico and Cuba.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
Laurie, now adopting her own holier-than-thou perch, is just as bad.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Phillip, Portland, Ore. A: Unlike baseball, with some of its holier-than-thou decisions with its Hall of Fame, the Basketball Hall of Fame largely looks at career on-court achievements.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2025
The story prompted an uproar from fans of Michigan’s Big Ten opponents, who saw Harbaugh as a cheater and Michigan’s holier-than-thou image as a fraud, and urged commissioner Tony Petitti to take action.
—Austin Meek, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024
Mara Reinstein, HollywoodReporter, 24 Nov. 2025
WalletHub made sure that no state walked away feeling entirely holier-than-thou.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 19 Aug. 2025
After all, Bill can be a buzzkill, and the Hills’ other neighbors, such as the conspiratorial Dale Gribble across the alley and the holier-than-thou Minh and Kahn Souphanousinphone next door, are flawed too.
—Adrienne Matei, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025
And Velia Martínez, who played the Spanish-speaking, holier-than-thou grandmother set in her ways, was born in Tampa, fluent in English and a longtime actress in Mexico and Cuba.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
Laurie, now adopting her own holier-than-thou perch, is just as bad.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Phillip, Portland, Ore. A: Unlike baseball, with some of its holier-than-thou decisions with its Hall of Fame, the Basketball Hall of Fame largely looks at career on-court achievements.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2025
The story prompted an uproar from fans of Michigan’s Big Ten opponents, who saw Harbaugh as a cheater and Michigan’s holier-than-thou image as a fraud, and urged commissioner Tony Petitti to take action.
—Austin Meek, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holier-than-thou
Adjective
-
But there’s a throughline in Smith’s most popular works — he’s been cast repeatedly as a villain, and usually an arrogant or smug one.—
Sophia Solano,
Washington Post,
7 Feb. 2026
-
But that poem is no smug cliché.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Nikola Jokic was cavalier with the ball, and the Cavaliers took advantage.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Stop this cavalier approach to our safety now.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Over time, some officers showed a boastful disdain for parts of the population they were expected to protect.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Emmanwori speaks with a matter-of-fact confidence that’s not boastful.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
He is paired with an arrogant young partner (Lou), a second-generation political scion whose personality clashes sharply with his own.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In the early years of his fame as a writer, Rushdie had something of a reputation for being prickly and arrogant, but Gibney’s portrait reveals a man mellowed by time and experience.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The United States went to war in 2001 and 2003 with a very moralistic, very crusading view of war, a very black-and-white view that there were good guys and bad guys, and America would wield the swift sword of justice.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Jan. 2026
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To rebuild a consensus, politicians must thus appeal to these swing voters by eschewing moralistic and globalist rhetoric.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
And women who foreground themselves in any capacity are often perceived to be self-important drama queens, or narcissists.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
22 Dec. 2025
-
Jeffrey Tambor Known for playing the pompous, self-important mayor of Whoville, Jeffery Tambor also has an esteemed career across television and film.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Holier-than-thou.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holier-than-thou. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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