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
In scenes together, Cooke’s arch line deliveries and holier-than-thou smirks spark against D’Arcy’s regal defensiveness and cool anger.
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Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 June 2024
Annelle-Inspired Picks The spiritual turnaround of the beauty shop’s new recruit guided our picks for her holier-than-thou shelves.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2024
Aidan is written as a sympathetic character — unlike Big, who comes off much more pompous — but still manipulates Carrie from his holier-than-thou perch.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023
But whether Ben is talking to people he’s known for ages or whom he’s just met, the guy has a knack for being aggressive, holier-than-thou, and sarcastic to a fault.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2023
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 June 2024
Annelle-Inspired Picks The spiritual turnaround of the beauty shop’s new recruit guided our picks for her holier-than-thou shelves.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2024
Aidan is written as a sympathetic character — unlike Big, who comes off much more pompous — but still manipulates Carrie from his holier-than-thou perch.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023
But whether Ben is talking to people he’s known for ages or whom he’s just met, the guy has a knack for being aggressive, holier-than-thou, and sarcastic to a fault.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holier-than-thou
Adjective
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But while the 118 is able to save both Celeste and her mother-in-law’s final resting place, a smug Trent trips and drops the vase, an appropriate punchline to a very silly cold open.Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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The smug conventional wisdom has it that voters don’t care much about abstractions like democracy or the rule of law.Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Katie: my fury was boundless in that moment that first of all, the doctor could be so cavalier with just his prognosis.Outside Online, Outside Online, 30 Oct. 2024
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Too high to be cavalier with our words and actions.Brea Baker, refinery29.com, 17 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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What people post on social media might be considered boastful, or celebratory depending on how an individual has been socialized.Ellen Choi, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
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Conversations with landlords have turned from boastful pride to cautious consideration.Allen Buchanan, Orange County Register, 26 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Dillahunt will play modern cowboy William Macon, a self-righteous, conspiracy-minded man who masks his ruthless ambition behind a charming and calculated facade.Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
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The Bartlet staff’s righteous (and self-righteous) elocution might seem — to the cynical — sentimental, treacly, smarmy, or just eye-roll-inducingly dumb.Lizzie Logan, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Manji will appear as Crispin, an arrogant, pompous employee at a fancy, high-end hardware store who snubs George.Katie Campione, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2024
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My 21-year-old grandson is a dramatic and arrogant know-it-all.Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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From this noble, if admittedly egotistical goal, come gaslighting, madness, war, self-mutilation, and murder.James Grebey, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
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Pharrell Williams’s egotistical fantasy Talent is not always original.Armond White, National Review, 11 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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As if predicting this kind of encounter, Kyunghee is moralistic about Sunja’s decision to let Mozasu work in what is seen as an ignoble business, the haunt of gangsters and ne’er-do-wellers.Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
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These are not virtues in a moralistic sense but, rather, habits of excellence inspired by definitions from ancient philosophy.Sarah Elk, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Articles Related to holier-than-thou
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Cite this Entry
“Holier-than-thou.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holier-than-thou. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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