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
The story prompted an uproar from fans of Michigan’s Big Ten opponents, who saw Harbaugh as a cheater and Michigan’s holier-than-thou image as a fraud, and urged commissioner Tony Petitti to take action.
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Austin Meek, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024
In scenes together, Cooke’s arch line deliveries and holier-than-thou smirks spark against D’Arcy’s regal defensiveness and cool anger.
—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
Austin Meek, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024
In scenes together, Cooke’s arch line deliveries and holier-than-thou smirks spark against D’Arcy’s regal defensiveness and cool anger.
—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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Yet the people posting vitriolic comments about Thompson feel justified in being smug about the death of this human in particular.Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Dec. 2024
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If Dani hadn’t shown up looking dreadfully smug, Helen could have gotten on with her morning and done her bit to prevent a war.Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That’s why many of crypto’s more cavalier coders headed to other blockchains to tinker and do things like build decentralized applications.MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2024
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Lucas was shocked and hurt that his generous offers kept being rebuffed; the people who organized against him were indignant that a billionaire could be so cavalier about their public land.Elizabeth Blackwell, Longreads, 14 Nov. 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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But recent years have marked a subtle shift from self-righteous battles over reputation to less principled conflicts over branding control, like when Kanye West disowned his participation in Coodie & Chike’s 2022 documentary Jeen-Yuhs because he was denied final cut.Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2024
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His parents, one a co-leader in the 1980s of South Central’s Black-Korean Coalition, the other a union organizer, push back on his self-righteous idealism.Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The arrogant millionaire heir James Beaufort (Damian Hardung) then has to deal with the quick-witted scholarship student, for better or worse.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2024
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The truth is that women often downplay their accomplishments to avoid being perceived as arrogant, but this approach can unintentionally undermine your professional growth.Nicole Lipkin, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The film, which centers on a group of egotistical actors making a Vietnam War movie, grossed nearly $200 million worldwide and picked up an Oscar nomination for supporting actor thanks to Robert Downey Jr.Zack Sharf, Variety, 26 Nov. 2024
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And with Elon Musk playing a key role in this new administration, who knows in which direction his bombastic, egotistical whims may take AI development?Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 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
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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 21 Dec. 2024.
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