Definitions

self-righteous

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

ADJECTIVE

smug

Synonyms

STRONGEST

complacent egotistical hypocritical pious sanctimonious

WEAK

affected canting goody-goody holier-than-thou noble pharisaic pietistic preachy self-satisfied superior

Antonyms

WEAK

caring humble thoughtful understanding

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.

Deborah sees Ava as entitled and self-righteous, Ava sees Deborah as washed-up and boring.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

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

A light touch works better than self-righteous hectoring.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

MacGruber starts the sketch self-righteous, noting that the “rich and powerful have lived by a different set of rules than the rest of us.”

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2025

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

The Great Gilly Hopkins

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Divergent

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Switch

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