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Definitions

self-righteous

[self-rahy-chuhs, self-] / ˌsɛlfˈraɪ tʃəs, ˈsɛlf- /


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.

She believes the negative reaction was self-righteous because the recordings captured an everyday occurrence and says people should stop judging.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

How would I experience it as the middle-aged tourist I am today, one who prefers comfort over self-righteous deprivation?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Smug, as we use it as a synonym for conceited or self-righteous, emerged from its earlier sense of “neat and trim,” which is exactly the ideal of a pert bump.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2025

Her first American film, the 2022 slasher “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” was a prank on Gen-Z and the self-righteous codes it clings to haphazardly.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2024

Already he felt almost self-righteous about his new life because it was going to be Down to Earth, Humble, Unpretentious, Real.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols




Vocabulary lists containing self-righteous