goody-goody

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.

Even non-comic book fans know that the hero born Kal-El on Krypton was always a goody-goody who stood up to bullies and protected the downtrodden.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 12, 2025

“I’ve been fighting that goody-goody stuff for years, because if you let people make you out to be perfect there just ain’t no margin for error,” he told his children.

From New York Times • Aug. 8, 2021

“Sturdy” was the word he returned to, even though the Tallahassee boy looked soft, conducted himself like a goody-goody, and had an irritating tendency to preach.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 25, 2019

I was more of a goody-goody, more than people would expect.

From Salon • Jun. 30, 2017

And I had learned an important lesson: If you were going to survive in jail, the goody-goody stuff had to go.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover