edifying
Improving the mind
Edifying describes something that improves the mind or character—instructive, uplifting, enlightening: an edifying lecture, an edifying experience.
The word often appears in the negative to describe something distasteful or unseemly: The spectacle of politicians trading insults was not edifying.
Related forms: edify (verb), edification (noun).
Providing new understanding
- illuminatingMaking visible or understandable
- instructiveServing to teach
- informativeProviding useful knowledge
- educationalPromoting knowledge or skill
pedagogical · didactic · scholarly · academic · erudite · learned · knowledgeable · cerebral
Emotionally encouraging
- motivatingPrompting someone to act
- encouragingGiving confidence or hope
- hearteningInspiring confidence or cheer
- rousingExciting strong feeling
stirring · moving · empowering · invigorating · stimulating · galvanizing · animating · awakening
Morally excellent, principled
- ethicalConforming to moral principles
- righteousMorally good, justified
- principledHaving strong moral beliefs
- uprightVertical or morally sound
conscience · integrity · probity · rectitude · pious · devout · wholesome · improving
Relating to worship
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- sermonicResembling religious discourse
- homileticRelating to preaching
- scripturalOf sacred writings
prayerful · meditative · contemplative · transcendent · sanctifying · purifying · reverent · blessed
enlightening
Providing new understanding
- illuminatingMaking visible or understandable
- instructiveServing to teach
- informativeProviding useful knowledge
educational · pedagogical · didactic · scholarly · academic · erudite · learned · knowledgeable · cerebral · philosophical
uplifting
Emotionally encouraging
- motivatingPrompting someone to act
- encouragingGiving confidence or hope
- hearteningInspiring confidence or cheer
rousing · stirring · moving · empowering · invigorating · stimulating · galvanizing · animating · awakening · enriching
virtuous
Morally excellent, principled
- ethicalConforming to moral principles
- righteousMorally good, justified
- principledHaving strong moral beliefs
upright · conscience · integrity · probity · rectitude · pious · devout · wholesome · improving · elevating
devotional
Relating to worship
scriptural · prayerful · meditative · contemplative · transcendent · sanctifying · purifying · reverent · blessed · divine
- teachingteaching, lesson plans, instructing, educating, courses
- preachingsermonizing, homiletics, altar call, scripture reading, closing prayer
- Informativeeducational, helpful, useful, detailed, factual
- Noble Qualitieshonor, courage, integrity, virtue, kindness
- upliftingencouraging, inspiring, heartening, uplifting, motivating
edifyingcorrupting
Causing moral decay
degrading · debasing · demoralizing · unedifying · depraving
edifyinguninformative
Conveying no knowledge
uninstructive · unenlightening · mindless · vapid · vacuous