sanctimonious
UK /ˌsæŋk.tɪˈməʊ.ni.əs/ · US /ˌsæŋk.tɪˈmoʊ.ni.əs/ adjective
- adjective Making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically pious.
- adjective (archaic) Holy, devout.
Synonyms
holier-than-thou pietistic smug self-righteous airy arrogant chesty authoritarian biggity big-headed blustery turgescent boastful lordly bombastic buggish cocky conceited disdainful domineering pietistical pharisaic pharisaical
Etymology
See Sanctimony.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Possessing sanctimony; holy; sacred; saintly. Shak.
- adjective Making a show of sanctity; affecting saintliness; hypocritically devout or pious. "Like the sanctimonious pirate." Shak.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “sanctimonious”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details