Sanctimonious
adjective
Acting as if morally superior to others often in a hypocritical manner.
Despite being a thief himself, he gave a sanctimonious lecture on honesty to his younger brother.
Often appears as...
- sanctimonious lecture
- sanctimonious tone
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Acting as if morally superior to others often in a hypocritical manner.
Despite being a thief himself, he gave a sanctimonious lecture on honesty to his younger brother.
Often appears as...
- sanctimonious lecture
- sanctimonious tone
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 1
Pro Tip 1/3Often Negative
Sanctimonious usually has a negative connotation, implying disapproval of such behavior.
His sanctimonious remarks about charity work did not impress anyone.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Truly Virtuous
Sanctimonious people pretend to be good or pious but may not act accordingly.
She played the sanctimonious Samaritan, yet her actions were self-serving.
Pro Tip 3/3Hypocrisy Indicator
When someone is sanctimonious, it often suggests that they are hypocritical.
His sanctimonious talk on fairness seemed ironic, given his known deceitfulness.
Pro Tip 1/3Often Negative
Sanctimonious usually has a negative connotation, implying disapproval of such behavior.
His sanctimonious remarks about charity work did not impress anyone.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Truly Virtuous
Sanctimonious people pretend to be good or pious but may not act accordingly.
She played the sanctimonious Samaritan, yet her actions were self-serving.
Pro Tip 3/3Hypocrisy Indicator
When someone is sanctimonious, it often suggests that they are hypocritical.
His sanctimonious talk on fairness seemed ironic, given his known deceitfulness.
Pro Tip 1/3Often Negative
Sanctimonious usually has a negative connotation, implying disapproval of such behavior.
His sanctimonious remarks about charity work did not impress anyone.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Truly Virtuous
Sanctimonious people pretend to be good or pious but may not act accordingly.
She played the sanctimonious Samaritan, yet her actions were self-serving.
Pro Tip 3/3Hypocrisy Indicator
When someone is sanctimonious, it often suggests that they are hypocritical.
His sanctimonious talk on fairness seemed ironic, given his known deceitfulness.
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Video examples
What we can do about the...
me and you. That sanctimonious pedestal of superiority on which we all place ourselves, that they are hateful and we are not, is a manifestation of the essential root of
Video examples
What we can do about the...
me and you. That sanctimonious pedestal of superiority on which we all place ourselves, that they are hateful and we are not, is a manifestation of the essential root of
Example 1 of 1
Quote examples
Michael Shellenberger
American Author
Trump gives progressives a way to channel whatever guilt they might have - whether from preventing homebuilding, benefitting from unfair taxes and pensions, or depriving black and Latino students the teacher quality and school funding they need - into a sanctimonious tribal rage against Republican racism.
Quote examples
Denise Mina
Scottish Writer
Even if people do wrong, we're social animals, so what can we do about stopping them doing the same things in future? Saying people are 'bad' or 'evil' is just an unwillingness to engage; an unwillingness to try to empathise. That sanctimonious attitude doesn't help anyone.
Quote examples
Bernard Goldberg
American Writer
I have a big problem when the sanctimonious, holier than thou congressmen and women go on national television for six hours and beat somebody up with a stick, and not because I'm 'Ms. Manners.' That's not what bothers me. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Quote examples
Amity Shlaes
American Author
When you do something moral and upright and wander off by yourself, well, everyone doesn't always follow you, do they, right? You pat yourself on your sanctimonious back but it doesn't mean the crowd rewards you for doing what you think is right.
Quote examples
Edmund Morgan
American Historian
Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence and deem them like the Ark of the Covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment.
Quote examples
Scott Derrickson
American Director
Some of the most intelligent people I've met in my life are priests and pastors; now, a lot of them aren't that, though. Some of the most sanctimonious and hypocritical people I've met are priests and pastors, also.
Quote examples
Diane Sawyer
American Journalist
I have a liberal definition of news because I think news can be what excites people. I'm not very sanctimonious about what news is and isn't.
Quote examples
Antonin Scalia
American Judge
There exists in some parts of the world sanctimonious criticism of America's death penalty, as somehow unworthy of a civilized society.
Quote examples
Ralph Thomas Walker
American Architect
I completely scorn the falsifying, the sanctimonious, the cheap and the shoddy.
Quote examples
Pat Robertson
American Clergyman
I have a zero tolerance for sanctimonious morons who try to scare people.
Quote examples
Michael Shellenberger
American Author
Trump gives progressives a way to channel whatever guilt they might have - whether from preventing homebuilding, benefitting from unfair taxes and pensions, or depriving black and Latino students the teacher quality and school funding they need - into a sanctimonious tribal rage against Republican racism.
Quote examples
Denise Mina
Scottish Writer
Even if people do wrong, we're social animals, so what can we do about stopping them doing the same things in future? Saying people are 'bad' or 'evil' is just an unwillingness to engage; an unwillingness to try to empathise. That sanctimonious attitude doesn't help anyone.
Quote examples
Bernard Goldberg
American Writer
I have a big problem when the sanctimonious, holier than thou congressmen and women go on national television for six hours and beat somebody up with a stick, and not because I'm 'Ms. Manners.' That's not what bothers me. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Quote examples
Amity Shlaes
American Author
When you do something moral and upright and wander off by yourself, well, everyone doesn't always follow you, do they, right? You pat yourself on your sanctimonious back but it doesn't mean the crowd rewards you for doing what you think is right.
Quote examples
Edmund Morgan
American Historian
Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence and deem them like the Ark of the Covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment.
Quote examples
Scott Derrickson
American Director
Some of the most intelligent people I've met in my life are priests and pastors; now, a lot of them aren't that, though. Some of the most sanctimonious and hypocritical people I've met are priests and pastors, also.
Quote examples
Diane Sawyer
American Journalist
I have a liberal definition of news because I think news can be what excites people. I'm not very sanctimonious about what news is and isn't.
Quote examples
Antonin Scalia
American Judge
There exists in some parts of the world sanctimonious criticism of America's death penalty, as somehow unworthy of a civilized society.
Quote examples
Ralph Thomas Walker
American Architect
I completely scorn the falsifying, the sanctimonious, the cheap and the shoddy.
Quote examples
Pat Robertson
American Clergyman
I have a zero tolerance for sanctimonious morons who try to scare people.
Example 1 of 10
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