sanctimonious

comparative more sanctimonious · superlative most sanctimonious

1. Making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically pious.

   Near-synonyms: smug, self-righteous; see also Thesaurus:arrogant

   4 more examples

   Thou conclud'st like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the Ten Commandements, but scrap'd one out of the table.

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]

   [O]ne / Discuss'd his tutor, rough to common men / But honeying at the whisper of a lord; / And one the Master, as a rogue in grain / Veneer'd with sanctimonious theory.

   1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Prologue”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 6

   It'd be easy to write off Michael Moore as a fat, scruffy, sanctimonious Bolchevik poseur (actually, I do write off Michael Moore as a fat, scruffy, sanctimonious Bolchevik poseur) but the fact is that there's about five minutes of cleverness in this […]

   2007, Alan Farrell, High Cheekbones, Pouty Lips, Tight Jeans, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 77

   And this is indeed needed, since we who consider these awkward Christian ideas are but fearful, sanctimonious people, as Kierkegaard once put it so passionately: O, you sanctimonious people with your love which does not set you apart […]

   2013, Ronald F. Marshall, Kierkegaard for the Church: Essays and Sermons, Wipf and Stock Publishers, →ISBN, page 333

   Synonyms: holier-than-thou, pietistic, smug, self-righteous, airy, arrogant, chesty, authoritarian

2. archaicHoly, devout.

   Synonyms: godly, pious, blessed, sacred, Allah-fearing, devout, devoutful, frum