Dictionary

self-righteous en · ADJ

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English righteous English self-righteous From self- + righteous.

Meanings

1. Piously self-assured and smugly moralistic.
   • Near-synonyms: smug, complacent; sanctimonious
   • “God's blood, Thomas, self-righteous prickery is not the preserve of the English!” 2017, Jules Radcliffe, Penitent Pirate:
   • And is it not possible, Mr. Hier, that people are reacting (in a contemptible way, certainly) against your self-righteous bawling? 2003 August 16, vjmorton, “Not-so-brave heart”, in Rightwing Film Geek:
2. Patronizingly moralizing and rebuking.

Forms

Coordinates

self-assured · self-satisfied · sententious

Deriveds

self-righteously · self-righteousness

Relateds

virtue signalling

Synonyms

holier-than-thou · smug · complacent · sanctimonious

Translations (40)

ko 고지식하다 (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · pl zarozumiały (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · it farisaico (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · gl condescendente (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · pl pyszałkowaty (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · kk масайраған (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · kk масаттанған (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · ga ceartaiseach (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · kk паңданған (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · es santurrón (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · es mojigato (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · hu önelégült (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · nb fariseisk (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · hu öntelt (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · bg самоуве́рен (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · ca purità (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · sv egenrättfärdig (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · cmn 自以為是 /自以为是 (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · ru фарисе́йский (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · ru самоуве́ренный (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · nb selvrettferdig (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · ru самодово́льный (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · ca gata maula (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · ru ха́нжеский (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · pl zadufany w sobie (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · da selvretfærdig (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · pl przemądrzały (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · fi tekohurskas (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · es farisaico (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · fi hurskasteleva (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · eo farisea (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · hu szentfazék (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · hu szenteskedő (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · pl zadufany (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · es creído (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · fr bien-pensant (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · pt farisaico (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · sv självrättfärdig (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · de selbstgerecht (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic) · fi omahyväinen (piously self-assured and smugly moralistic)