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Synonyms

churchy

American  
[chur-chee] / ˈtʃɜr tʃi /

adjective

churchier, churchiest
  1. adhering strictly to the prescribed form in ecclesiastical matters.

  2. intolerant of dissent in one's religion.

  3. of, characteristic of, or suggestive of a church.

    The stained-glass windows gave the room a churchy look.


churchy British  
/ ˈtʃɜːtʃɪ /

adjective

  1. like a church, church service, etc

  2. excessively religious

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of churchy

First recorded in 1835–45; church + -y 1


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“Expensive, elevated and fresh. It’s not churchy, which is my biggest issue with incense.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Never preachy or too churchy — sometimes God is never mentioned.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2025

That is why NAR apostles and prophets sometimes stay on the down-low — by foregoing churchy garb and open use of their titles, for instance.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2023

She addresses it most directly in “I Drink Wine,” a crescendo of confession and self-help underpinned by churchy piano and organ: “How can one become so bounded by choices that somebody else makes?” she sings.

From New York Times ● Nov. 17, 2021

After that, Lizzie always sang the hymns she knew, and Turner cut down on the high churchy tunes to accommodate her.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

In retrospect, in the churchier precincts of the memory, the election of 1960 has, for some, a numinous glow.

From Time Magazine Archive

By Ruth GrahamPosted Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012, at 9:05 AM ET New England used to be one of the churchiest places in America.

From Slate ● Nov. 27, 2012

She isn't rich, either, but poor as the churchiest mouse!

From Secret History Revealed By Lady Peggy O'Malley by Clarence H. (Clarence Herbert) Rowe

They are, as one may say, the churchiest churches in Europe—the fullest of gathered memories, of the experience of their office.

From Italian Hours by Henry James

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