English Explanatory Dictionary

pious

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, god-fearing.
  2. Relating to religion or religious works.
  3. Insisting on or making a show of one's own virtue, especially in comparison to others; sanctimonious, condescending, judgmental.

Pronunciation

/ˈpaɪəs/ en-us-pious.ogg

Word forms

pious more pious most pious

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pewH- Proto-Italic *pwījosder. Latin piusbor. English pious Borrowed from Latin pīus (“pious, dutiful, blessed, kind, devout”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“pure”). Cognate with Old English fǣle (“faithful, trusty, good; dear, beloved”). More at feal.

Synonyms

devout dutiful godly observant reverent reverential Allah-fearing devoutful frum godfearing heavenly-minded inward pious piteous practicing religionary sainted sanctimonious religious crawthumping holier-than-thou self-righteous patronizing pompous smug airy arrogant chesty authoritarian biggity big-headed blustery boastful bombastic buggish cocky conceited disdainful domineering egotistical entitled flatulent flaunting full of oneself glorious grandiose hankty haught haughty haut high-handed high-hat high and mighty highfalutin hoity-toity hubristic hubristical imperious inflated insolent

Antonyms

impious independent profane

Related words

piety

Derived words

offensive to pious ears overpious pi pious fiction pious fraud piously piousness pseudopious superpious ultrapious unpious

Translations

Bulgarian: набожен Finnish: tekopyhä Finnish: muotojumalinen Georgian: ღვთისმოშიში Georgian: ღვთისმოსავი Georgian: მორწმუნე German: scheinheilig Japanese: 信心の名を借りた Japanese: 宗教にかこつけた Japanese: 偽善的な Macedonian: по́божен Māori: whakapono Scottish Gaelic: cràbhach Serbo-Croatian: nabožan Turkish: bağnaz Turkish: yobaz
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