pious

[ pahy-uhs ]

/ ˈpaɪ əs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having or showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations.

characterized by a hypocritical concern with virtue or religious devotion; sanctimonious.

practiced or used in the name of real or pretended religious motives, or for some ostensibly good object; falsely earnest or sincere: a pious deception.

of or relating to religious devotion; sacred rather than secular: pious literature.

having or showing appropriate respect or regard for parents or others.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of pious

1595–1605; < Latin pius, akin to piāre to propitiate

SYNONYMS FOR pious

1 devout, godly, reverent. See religious.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pious ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

pi·ous·ly, adverbpi·ous·ness, nounpre·pi·ous, adjectivepre·pi·ous·ly, adverb

pseu·do·pi·ous, adjectivepseu·do·pi·ous·ly, adverbqua·si-pi·ous, adjectivequa·si-pi·ous·ly, adverbsem·i·pi·ous, adjectivesem·i·pi·ous·ly, adverbsem·i·pi·ous·ness, nounsu·per·pi·ous, adjectivesu·per·pi·ous·ly, adverbsu·per·pi·ous·ness, nounun·pi·ous, adjectiveun·pi·ous·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for piously

In a typical sally, Nixon piously intoned, “I know what it means to be poor.”
Hey, Mitt, You Can Be Rich and Win the Election, Just Not Richie Rich|Robert Shrum|July 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
"Heaven send us news of those little fellows soon," said Archer piously.
Tonio, Son of the Sierras|Charles King
"You should commend yourself to God," said Mr. Gupperduck piously.
Adventures of Bindle|Herbert George Jenkins
As Christians, piously endeavoring to enforce the will of God, and carry out the principles of Christianity?
Cotton is King and The Pro-Slavery Arguments|Various

The mantis closed its arm-like forelegs upon it, holding it as if piously and benignly contemplating it.
Planet of Dread|Murray Leinster
When he could, he piously drew attention to the works of his father and mother.
Oscar Wilde|Arthur Ransome

British Dictionary definitions for piously

pious

/ (ˈpaɪəs) /

adjective

having or expressing reverence for a god or gods; religious; devout

marked by reverence

marked by false reverence; sanctimonious

sacred; not secular

archaic having or expressing devotion for one's parents or others

Derived Formspiously, adverbpiousness, noun

Word Origin for pious

C17: from Latin pius, related to piāre to expiate

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

Word Origin and History for piously

pious

adj.

mid-15c., from Latin pius "dutiful, devout, conscientious, religious; faithful to kindred; inspired by friendship, prompted by natural affections," perhaps [Klein] related to Latin purus "pure, clean" (see pure). Often coupled with fraud (n.) from at least 1630s. Related: Piously; piousness.