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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-righteous
The Bartlet staff’s righteous (and self-righteous) elocution might seem — to the cynical — sentimental, treacly, smarmy, or just eye-roll-inducingly dumb.
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Lizzie Logan, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2024
The term, which arguably won Governor Tim Walz the No. 2 spot on the Democratic ticket, was a stroke of folksy, linguistic genius: finally, a way to dismissively describe Donald Trump and his cohort without dipping into a self-righteous tone that could turn off wary swing voters.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2024
Meanwhile, everyone is running around talking about governance in such self-righteous ways, but missing the point.
—Eli Amdur, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Elegant, worldly, and self-righteous Antoinette is a long-time divorcee whose life revolves around her weekly hair appointments and her job as a correctional officer at Rikers Island.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-righteous 
Lizzie Logan, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2024
The term, which arguably won Governor Tim Walz the No. 2 spot on the Democratic ticket, was a stroke of folksy, linguistic genius: finally, a way to dismissively describe Donald Trump and his cohort without dipping into a self-righteous tone that could turn off wary swing voters.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2024
Meanwhile, everyone is running around talking about governance in such self-righteous ways, but missing the point.
—Eli Amdur, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Elegant, worldly, and self-righteous Antoinette is a long-time divorcee whose life revolves around her weekly hair appointments and her job as a correctional officer at Rikers Island.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-righteous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-righteous
Adjective
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The pious townspeople eat food for sustenance, not enjoyment, and for over a decade Babette dutifully prepares a rather drab-looking bread soup for the sisters, per their instructions.Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024
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And yet something about her pious active listening face really gets to Urs.Caroline Framke, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Senator Ernst, House Speaker Johnson and most of Congress are just a bunch of sanctimonious hypocrites who constantly point the finger at others while protecting their numerous golden eggs.Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 12 Dec. 2024
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More than family, my poor roommates at the time got the worst of my newfound sanctimonious zeal.David G. Allan, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Start Glorifying Honest And Authentic Marketing Why do some marketers create dishonest marketing campaigns that tap into impulsive emotions?Drew Gerber, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
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The settlement sparked a backlash from both sides of the political aisle, with one half framing it as a dishonest entity being justly punished and the other accusing the news outlet of kowtowing to Trump.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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And understanding that pleasure and pain relief are not necessarily joined at the hip might help the rest of us be less moralistic about adversity in everyday life.Richard A. Friedman, The Atlantic, 29 Nov. 2024
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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
Adjective
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Zuckerberg and Trump have had a strained relationship in recent years.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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Jansson started 37 games for Leeds but his relationship with Marcelo Bielsa, the head coach at the time, had become strained.Jay Harris, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This means focusing on clear expectations, meaningful work and genuine connections rather than superficial engagement initiatives like culture surveys that don’t result in any positive change.Cynthia Pong, JD, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
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The tribute left social media users divided, with some criticizing Stamos’ gesture as superficial.Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 19 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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And to sit up there, man, and to be just blatantly hypocritical is funny and sickening at the same time.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
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If an organization’s culture is aspirational rather than lived and practiced, the result is often a hypocritical, inauthentic hiring experience.Lori Landrum, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Before going down, the 24-year-old had accumulated 19 tackles, 17 quarterback hits, 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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McDuffie had 10 tackles and a forced fumble, McKinney delivered nine stops and Walker contributed 10 tackles and a sack.Steve Silverman, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near self-righteous
Cite this Entry
“Self-righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-righteous. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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