Dictionary

sanctimonious en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˌsæŋk.tɪˈməʊ.ni.əs/ (UK)
• (US) audio
• /ˌsæŋk.tɪˈmoʊ.ni.əs/ (US)
• /ˌsæŋk.təˈməʊ.ni.əs/ (UK)
• /ˌsæŋk.təˈmoʊ.ni.əs/ (US)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English sanctimony Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos? Old Latin -ōssus Latin -ōsus Old French -usbor. Middle English -ous English -ous English sanctimonious From sanctimony + -ous.

Meanings

1. Making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically pious.
   • [O]ne / Discuss'd his tutor, rough to common men / But honeying at the whisper of a lord; / And one the Master, as a rogue in grain / Veneer'd with sanctimonious theory. 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Prologue”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 6:
   • It'd be easy to write off Michael Moore as a fat, scruffy, sanctimonious Bolchevik poseur (actually, I do write off Michael Moore as a fat, scruffy, sanctimonious Bolchevik poseur) but the fact is that there's about five minutes of cleverness in this […] 2007, Alan Farrell, High Cheekbones, Pouty Lips, Tight Jeans, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 77:
   • Near-synonyms: smug, self-righteous; see also Thesaurus:arrogant
   • Thou conclud'st like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the Ten Commandements, but scrap'd one out of the table. c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
   • And this is indeed needed, since we who consider these awkward Christian ideas are but fearful, sanctimonious people, as Kierkegaard once put it so passionately: O, you sanctimonious people with your love which does not set you apart […] 2013, Ronald F. Marshall, Kierkegaard for the Church: Essays and Sermons, Wipf and Stock Publishers, →ISBN, page 333:
2. (archaic) Holy, devout.

Forms

Deriveds

sanctimoniousness · DeSanctimonious · unsanctimonious · nonsanctimonious · sanctimoniously

Relateds

sanctimony

Synonyms

godly · uppish · celestial · boastful · devoutful · observant · upstage · pretentious · blustery · godfearing · bombastic · highfalutin · frum · blessed · practicing · piteous · buggish · pious · priggish · chesty · entitled · domineering · arrogant · overweening · blessed · hubristic · high-hat · stuck up · snobbish · overbearing · toplofty · smug · hallowed · disdainful · sanctimonious · inward · godly · thrasonical · la-di-da · sanctimonious · heavenly · pious · sacred · snooty · high-handed · full of oneself · haut · presumptuous · sainted · high and mighty · holier-than-thou · stout · sanctimonious · pietistic · self-righteous · ostentatious · turgescent · uppity · egotistical · pompous · flatulent · authoritarian · conceited · glorious · puffed up · flaunting · imperious · airy · big-headed · hoity-toity · snotty · toploftical · devoutful · holier-than-thou · supercilious · haughty · orgulous · haught · grandiose · biggity · divine · devout · self-important · inflated · vain · religionary · sacred · Allah-fearing · tumid · uppy · godly · holy · heavenly-minded · insolent · lordly · thrasonic · hankty · hubristical · cocky · turgid

Translations (66)

it tartufo (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · es chupacirios (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · es mojigato (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · ru ха́нжеский (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · sv skenhelig (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · fr faux dévot (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · cmn 道貌岸然的 (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · ga béalchráifeach (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · nn skinheilag (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · hu álszent (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · fr tartuffe (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · da farisæisk (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · es (Bol.) pechoño (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · da skinhellig (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · it baciapile (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · yi פֿרומאַקיש (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · es santulón (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · de frömmelnd (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · it tartufesco (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · fi tekopyhä (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · he צדקני (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · yi באַגאָטיש (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · fi hurskasteleva (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · hu szenteskedő (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · id sok suci (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · gd breug-chràbhach (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · es meapilas (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · da hyklerisk (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · ga diagasúil (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · gl doido (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · fr confit en dévotion (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · fi jeesusteleva (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · ga bréagchráifeach (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · fr bigot (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · eo hipokrita (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · yi צבֿועקיש (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · de scheinheilig (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · es gazmoño (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · bg престорено набожен (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · it bacchettone (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · de pfäffisch (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · fi pyhimysmäinen (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · fr hypocrite (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · eo farisea (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · eo bigota (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · cmn 虛偽 /虚伪 (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · nl schijnheilig (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · es santurrón (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · he מתחסד (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · pl świętoszkowaty (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · nl hooghartig (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · pl świętojebliwy (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · gd beul-chràbhach (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · es santón (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · el ψευδευλαβής (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · nb skinnhellig (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · it santimonia (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · pt santimonial (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · hi पाखण्ड (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · gl moino (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · el αγιοφανής (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · it pretesco (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · tr yobaz (jɔ.baz) (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · cmn 偽善 /伪善 (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · gl mansoño (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically) · es tartufo (making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically)