ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Words›S›sanctimonious
ISEE/SSAThard
sanctimonious
making a hypocritical show of moral superiority
Synonyms
- self-righteous
- priggish
- smug
Antonyms
- humble
- sincere
- unassuming
sanctimonious in a sentence
His sanctimonious lecture ignored his own history of dishonest conduct.
Her sanctimonious rebuke sounded hollow after she broke the same rule herself.
Where it comes from
From Latin sanctimonia, meaning 'holiness' or 'purity.'
Memory hook
SANCTIMONIOUS contains SANCT, or holy: it describes someone pretending to be holier than others.
Read it in context
- Between Speech and Judgment Social Science
- The Unfinished Finale Narrative
Practice sanctimonious in the app