1
as in steadfast
firm in one's allegiance to someone or something
a pious supporter of his school's athletic teams, during winning and losing seasons alike
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devout
showing a devotion to God and to a life of virtue
a pious woman who decided to become a nun
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 pious
Maria, austere and deeply pious, runs the business with an iron hand, obsessed with making the family’s origins forgotten.
—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
While Cal's postgraduation life in Edinburgh sounds bleak, returning to his sternly pious father after a taste of modernity and freedom is less enticing still.
—
Paula Cooper,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
As Mildred Layton, the pious pastor’s wife first played on screen by Kristin Chenoweth, Ana Gasteyer is in her element.
—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
The Colombian grandmother of my childhood summers was funny, mean, pious, and hard—despite being tremendously sensitive in her own way.
—
Adriana E. Ramírez,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pious
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
While Cal's postgraduation life in Edinburgh sounds bleak, returning to his sternly pious father after a taste of modernity and freedom is less enticing still.
—
Paula Cooper,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
As Mildred Layton, the pious pastor’s wife first played on screen by Kristin Chenoweth, Ana Gasteyer is in her element.
—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
The Colombian grandmother of my childhood summers was funny, mean, pious, and hard—despite being tremendously sensitive in her own way.
—
Adriana E. Ramírez,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pious
Adjective
-
The Federal Reserve’s steadfast period of low interest rates in the 2000s was criticized as contributing to a housing bubble in the 2000s, followed by the mortgage crisis of 2007 and the Great Recession the following year.
-
With the almighty Sun highlighting your 7th House of Partnership, commitments benefit from structure that includes realistic timelines and steadfast follow-through.
Adjective
-
For a devout convert to Catholicism, Vance has a bumpy history with the Vatican.
-
Fearing a loss of their significant clout and influence, devout Protestants revived the earlier campaign to write their faith commitments into the Constitution.
Adjective
-
But the star has cultivated a loyal collective of her favorite brands, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney and Area (recall her famous Super Bowl jeans).
-
Acquirers should look for these kinds of recurring and diversified revenues, as well as assess whether the brand has a loyal community.
Adjective
-
Having witnessed centuries of religious warfare in Europe, when millions were killed for their beliefs, the framers took pains to make sure nothing like that would happen here.
-
Supporters argue that the gatherings represent a form of devotion untethered from rigid rituals and the gatekeeping normally associated with temples or religious processions.
Adjective
-
That leaves Shapiro—an Orthodox Jew and staunch Zionist—in a tough spot.
-
The public is warming up to nuclear, too – after decades of staunch opposition, a 2024 survey commissioned by the Energy Department found that more than 70% of Filipinos trust nuclear power as a reliable source of electricity, and many support rehabilitating the BNPP.
Adjective
-
Not a hushed and reverent scene at all, lively and fun.
-
This is a lovely, if rather decorous and reverent, tale of an illicit affair that’s unlikely to cause as much noise as Dhont’s last two films.
Adjective
-
Handing the follow-up to her, and her faithful floating dog Krypto, strikes me as an extremely natural next step.
-
Austin Sumter, a faithful reader of this newsletter.
Adjective
-
There are flag sweaters and skate sneakers and prairie skirts; there are Cheyanne moccasins and Mennonite bonnets and the not-quite-holy Yankees baseball cap.
-
The devil invades a Georgetown home, and holy men have quite the job to do on a demonic little girl.
Cite this Entry
“Pious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pious. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
