Synonyms of sanctimonious

sanctimonious

adjective

as in pious

formal + disapproving pretending to be morally better than other people

sanctimonious politicians

A sanctimonious speech from someone who refused to acknowledge his own past failings.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pious
• meaningless
• hollow
• moralistic
• strained
• superficial
• hypocritical
• pharisaical
• dishonest
• self-righteous
• fake
• holier-than-thou
• unctuous
• insincere
• false
• phoney
• forced
• canting
• phony
• simon-pure
• double
• mechanical
• feigned
• contrived
• goody-goody
• backhanded
• unnatural
• sham
• artificial
• lip
• phony-baloney
• counterfeit
• phoney-baloney
• mealy
• pretended
• jive
• two-faced
• rectitudinous
• simulated
• double-dealing
• assumed
• deceitful
• mealymouthed
• claptrap
• double-faced
• empty
• affected
• glib
• Janus-faced
• untruthful
• put-on
• devious
• Pecksniffian
• facile
• left-handed
• bogus
• facetious
• jocular
• tongue-in-cheek
• campy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sincere
• genuine
• honest
• heartfelt
• artless
• candid
• unfeigned
• direct
• forthright
• plain
• frank
• straightforward
• open
• undesigning
• heart-to-heart

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sanctimonious

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

More than family, my poor roommates at the time got the worst of my newfound sanctimonious zeal. —David G. Allan, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024

Others need police escorts off college campuses or get shouted down by sanctimonious mobs. —Mary Riley, Twin Cities, 24 Nov. 2024

Trolls claim to be puncturing pieties, saving the sanctimonious from themselves. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2024

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