holier-than-thou

Speech parts

1. holier-than-thou - Adjective

2. holier-than-thou - Adjective Satellite

Meaning

excessively or hypocritically pious

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

I got a imam, I got a rabbi, I got a priest, I got a reverend - I got 'em all. But I don't want to be holier-than-thou. I want to help everybody and still get some (sex). Mike Tyson

Our brains are no longer conditioned for reverence and awe. We cannot imagine a Second Coming that would not be cut down to size by the televised evening news, or a Last Judgment not subject to pages of holier-than-thou second-guessing in The New York Review of Books. John Updike

There are actresses who've had expensive work done and look great, so I'm not holier-than-thou about it. But it wouldn't be for me, perhaps because I've already been in hospital and wouldn't want to volunteer myself for it again. Celia Imrie

See through their narrative and their shrewd attempts at distraction. They will often present themselves as holier-than-thou or as the victim of other people's malice. The louder they proclaim their convictions, the more certain you can be they're hiding something. Robert Greene

Understand that it is often unwise to forgive face to face. This tends to make the other person feel 'put down' and make you look holier-than-thou. Charles Stanley

I'm sure Sting's a lovely guy. It's just that nobody wants to be seen as that holier-than-thou thing. That over-earnestness is a bit of a problem with people in bands and celebrities or whatever. Jarvis Cocker

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