preachy

American  

[pree-chee] / ˈpri tʃi /

adjective

preachier, preachiest

1. tediously or pretentiously didactic.

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preachy British  

/ ˈpriːtʃɪ /

adjective

1. informal inclined to or marked by preaching

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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.

Example Sentences

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