holier-than-thou

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.

As The Outline saliently noted in 2019, this disposition seemed to suggest a holier-than-thou elitism.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

“It’s like a milkshake gone bad. I don’t like holier-than-thou people. I hate that.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2024

Their core complaint is the court’s holier-than-thou posture, exemplified by the black robes the justices wear in public.

From New York Times • Jul. 25, 2022

“Being green is not a charitable sort of self-flagellating, holier-than-thou exercise. It’s a good business model. That’s what we’d like to show,” said Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin.

From Seattle Times • May 16, 2022

If someone had asked her, a month or even a week before, to guess what she might have felt, she might have anticipated a sliver of gloating, or at least a moment of holier-than-thou.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng