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Synonyms

holier-than-thou

American  
[hoh-lee-er-thuhn-thou] / ˈhoʊ li ər ðənˈðaʊ /

adjective

  1. obnoxiously pious; sanctimonious; self-righteous.

noun

  1. a person who is obnoxiously pious or self-righteous.

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.

John Crace’s incisive pastiches of the most popular writers, from Bridget Jones to Julian Barnes Holier than thou … Ann Widdecombe.

From The Guardian • Jun. 16, 2013

Holier than thou in its complacency and self-indulgently assured of how In-funny it is, MacBird is an off-campus transplant of college humor.

From Time Magazine Archive

Holier than thou; the way of the righteous. © 5Feb29; A4397.

From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1956 January - June by Library of Congress. Copyright Office

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.