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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Recent Examples of self-righteous
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
Open and humorous in person, he was described by critics – and even some supporters – as stubborn, didactic and self-righteous.
—Nicole West Bassoff, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025
Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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
Open and humorous in person, he was described by critics – and even some supporters – as stubborn, didactic and self-righteous.
—Nicole West Bassoff, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025
Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-righteous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-righteous
Adjective
-
However, this distinction did more than pit pious Americans against an atheist enemy.—
David Williamson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
-
In Wake-Keeper (2026), a roughly four-by-five-foot canvas, a pious man draped in the red cloth of traditional Ghanaian funeral attire sits on a stool with his hands clasped, his body facing the left side of the frame.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
Adjective
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There are few things in this world more sanctimonious and hypocritical than left-wing sportswriters getting on their faux moral high horse.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
That’s when the movie takes a direction that’s both maudlin in the true sense of the word and ultimately even sanctimonious regarding the heroine’s sudden redemption.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some providers described assumptions that patients with substance use disorders were irresponsible, dishonest or less deserving of empathy than other patients.—
Karli Swenson,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
-
Trump has years of experience with this kind of dishonest narrative flexibility.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Navy excels at untangling human emotions and picking through them without being didactic or moralistic.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 June 2026
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Last year, a YouTube channel called Akhbar Enfejari (Explosive News) began posting a variety of digital content with a political and moralistic bent.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Jay has just one hour of oxygen left to forge an escape, applying the knowledge and skill set his late father passed on to him, while also reconciling their strained relationship in the process.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
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The council listened, with strained faces and large eyes.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
An advocate stops being merely a superficial backer when the promotion of another involves risk to the advocate.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
But the growing fervor for sardines hinges on something more superficial, literally and figuratively.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Earlier this month, Matsui’s campaign came after Vang for taking corporate donations from Sacramento-area businesses during her city council campaigns, implying that Vang’s vows to not accept money from corporate PACs in her congressional bid is hypocritical.—
Mathew Miranda
June 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
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People are fixating on celebrities of all kinds, accusing singers of body-positive anthems of being hypocritical, rolling their eyes at athletes promoting weight loss drugs and whispering about the thinness of their favorite movie stars.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The references to the Cure, New Wave, and Eighties bands never feel forced or overdone or too stuck in the past.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2026
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His arguments often lack logic, and many of the debates feel forced.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-righteous. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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