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Synonyms

preachy

American  
[pree-chee] / ˈpri tʃi /

adjective

preachier, preachiest
  1. tediously or pretentiously didactic.


preachy British  
/ ˈpriːtʃɪ /

adjective

  1. informal inclined to or marked by preaching

"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

  • preachily adverb
  • preachiness noun

Etymology

Origin of preachy

First recorded in 1810–20; preach + -y 1

Explanation

Someone who's preachy will give you self-righteous advice whether you ask for it or not. The worst movies are the ones that have a preachy moral at the end. When you're preachy, you feel morally superior to other people and you're not afraid to talk about what you think they should do. A preachy neighbor might complain about how rude the kids on his block are and suggest that their parents should teach them some manners. A preachy children's book might have a patronizing message about always saying "please" and "thank you." Preachy is an informal adjective that dates from the nineteenth century.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

Users — especially those who made the switch to Claude — have recently slammed the app for being unnecessarily wordy and preachy in tone.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

Mr. King espouses a refreshing perspective on his craft that is anything but preachy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

That we need to be less preachy, and administer fewer purity tests.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2025

The film could easily have been a preachy lecture about the dangers of the internet.

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2025

But when the Lavender Fairy does it, with her cute little eyebrows raised like smiles on her forehead, she doesn’t come off as preachy.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio