holier-than-thou
Americanadjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of holier-than-thou
First recorded in 1910–15
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.
“It’s like a milkshake gone bad. I don’t like holier-than-thou people. I hate that.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2024
Plus I get to be holier-than-thou to almost everyone I know!
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2023
Their core complaint is the court’s holier-than-thou posture, exemplified by the black robes the justices wear in public.
From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2022
“Being green is not a charitable sort of self-flagellating, holier-than-thou exercise. It’s a good business model. That’s what we’d like to show,” said Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin.
From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2022
This was his regular move, a kind of holier-than-thou decision process that drove Toby nuts.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
