2. Making a show of sanctity; affecting saintliness; hypocritically devout or pious. ``Like the sanctimonious pirate.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster] -- {Sanc`ti*mo"ni*ous*ly}, adv. -- {Sanc`ti*mo"ni*ous*ness}, n. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
sanctimonious — 1 pietistic, religious, *devout, pious Analogous words: see those at SANCTIMONIOUS 2 2 hypocritical, Pharisaical, canting (see under HYPOCRISY) Analogous words: affected, feigned, simulated, counterfeited, assumed, pretended (see ASSUME):… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
sanctimonious — index tartuffish Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
sanctimonious — c.1600 (in Measure for Measure, with the disparaging sense), from sanctimony holiness of life and character (1530s), from M.Fr. sanctimonie, from L. sanctimonia holiness, virtuousness, from sanctus holy (see SAINT (Cf. saint)). The un ironic,… … Etymology dictionary
sanctimonious — [adj] self righteous bigoted, canting, deceiving, false, goody goody*, holier than thou*, hypocritical, insincere, pharisaical, pietistic, pious, preachy, selfsatisfied, smug, stuffy, unctuous; concepts 401,404 Ant. humble, meek, modest … New thesaurus
sanctimonious — ► ADJECTIVE derogatory ▪ making a show of being morally superior. DERIVATIVES sanctimoniously adverb sanctimoniousness noun sanctimony noun. ORIGIN from Latin sanctimonia sanctity … English terms dictionary
sanctimonious — [saŋk΄tə mō′nē əs] adj. [< SANCTIMONY + OUS] pretending to be very holy or pious; affecting sanctity or righteousness SYN. DEVOUT sanctimoniously adv. sanctimoniousness n … English World dictionary
sanctimonious — [[t]sæ̱ŋktɪmo͟ʊniəs[/t]] ADJ GRADED (disapproval) If you say that someone is sanctimonious, you disapprove of them because you think that they are trying to appear morally better than other people. He writes smug, sanctimonious rubbish... You… … English dictionary
sanctimonious — adjective Date: 1603 1. hypocritically pious or devout < a sanctimonious moralist > < the king s sanctimonious rebuke G. B. Shaw > 2. obsolete possessing sanctity ; holy • sanctimoniously adverb • sanctimoniousness … New Collegiate Dictionary
sanctimonious — sanctimoniously, adv. sanctimoniousness, n. /sangk teuh moh nee euhs/, adj. 1. making a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety, righteousness, etc.: They resented his sanctimonious comments on immorality in America. 2. Obs. holy; sacred.… … Universalium
sanctimonious — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) adj. pietistic, sacrosanct; self righteous, holier than thou; hypocritical, goody goody (inf.). See impiety. II (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. self righteous, pietistic, hypocritical, holier than thou*, goody… … English dictionary for students
