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sanctimonious

Adjective

IPA /ˌsæŋktɪˈməʊniəs/

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Meaning in plain English

Behaving as though you are morally better than other people.

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Pronunciation

sanctimonious/ˌsæŋktɪˈməʊniəs/

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A speaker acts morally superior
Others receive an unwanted moral lecture

A sanctimonious manner displays self-righteous superiority.

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His sanctimonious lecture about waste annoyed everyone at dinner.
The reviewer criticised the essay's sanctimonious tone.

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His ________ lecture about waste annoyed everyone at dinner.

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sanctimonious — Behaving as though you are morally better than other people.

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Behaving as though you are morally better than other people.

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Word origin

From Latin sanctimonia, meaning holiness, related to sanctus, holy.

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Sanctimonious tone, attitude and lecture suggest an irritating display of moral superiority.

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