pious
Deeply devoted spiritually
Pious describes deep religious devotion and dutiful observance of faith: a pious woman who never missed morning prayers, pious observance of the Sabbath.
The word can turn contemptuous when devotion seems excessive or performative: pious platitudes, pious moralizing.
A pious hope or pious wish is sincere but unlikely to be fulfilled.
Morally good, justified
- moralConcerning right conduct
- uprightVertical or morally sound
- ethicalConforming to moral principles
- principledHaving strong moral beliefs
saintly · holy · pure · blameless · honorable · conscientious · noble · just
Intensely and sincerely felt
- ardentIntensely enthusiastic or devoted
- fanaticalExtremely and uncritically devoted
- evangelicalZealously advocating beliefs
- missionaryReligious outreach worker
proselytizing · crusading · passionate · intense · earnest · devout · militant · fundamentalist
Feeling profound respect
- worshipfulFeeling or showing reverence
- godlyDeeply religious in character
- prayerfulGiven to worship
- spiritualRelating to the soul
devotional · faithful · religious · believing · theistic · god-fearing · observant · churchgoing
Smugly certain of correctness
- holier-than-thouSmugly moralistic toward others
- hypocriticalFeigning beliefs one lacks
- pharisaicalHypocritically self-righteous
- smugExcessively self-satisfied
preachy · judgmental · unctuous · pietistic · priggish · canting · insincere · goody-goody
Exceeding usual boundaries
- numinousSpiritually awesome, beyond ordinary
- beatificRadiating serene joy
- ecstaticOverwhelmed with joy
- spiritualRelating to the soul
exalted · heavenly · divine · blessed · rapturous · otherworldly · sublime · ineffable
Of public worship rites
- sacramentalOf sacred rites
- ceremonialRelating to formal rites
- votiveOffered in devotion
- canonicalAccepted as standard
orthodox · ecclesiastical · ablution · fasting · pilgrimage · rosary · incantation · rites
righteous
Morally good, justified
principled · saintly · holy · pure · blameless · honorable · conscientious · noble · just · scrupulous
fervent
Intensely and sincerely felt
- ardentIntensely enthusiastic or devoted
- fanaticalExtremely and uncritically devoted
- evangelicalZealously advocating beliefs
missionary · proselytizing · crusading · passionate · intense · earnest · devout · militant · fundamentalist · uncompromising
reverent
Feeling profound respect
- worshipfulFeeling or showing reverence
- godlyDeeply religious in character
- prayerfulGiven to worship
spiritual · devotional · faithful · religious · believing · theistic · god-fearing · observant · churchgoing · scripturally
self-righteous
Smugly certain of correctness
- holier-than-thouSmugly moralistic toward others
- hypocriticalFeigning beliefs one lacks
- pharisaicalHypocritically self-righteous
smug · preachy · judgmental · unctuous · pietistic · priggish · canting · insincere · goody-goody · affected
transcendent
Exceeding usual boundaries
- numinousSpiritually awesome, beyond ordinary
- beatificRadiating serene joy
- ecstaticOverwhelmed with joy
spiritual · exalted · heavenly · divine · blessed · rapturous · otherworldly · sublime · ineffable · enlightened
liturgical
Of public worship rites
- sacramentalOf sacred rites
- ceremonialRelating to formal rites
- votiveOffered in devotion
canonical · orthodox · ecclesiastical · ablution · fasting · pilgrimage · rosary · incantation · rites · vestments
- moral judgmentsgood, evil, wicked, virtuous, moral
- virtuousvirtuous, righteous, moral, upright, pure
- Christianesealtar call, backslider, blessed, born again, churched
- faith labelsbeliever, nonbeliever, atheist, agnostic, theist
- religious stancesdevout, faithful, atheist, agnostic, reverent
- Epithetsthe Great, the Wise, the Good, the Brave, the Lionheart
piousgodless
Lacking belief in deities
impious · irreligious · ungodly · atheistic · nonreligious
piousirreverent
Disrespectful toward authority
profane · blasphemous · sacrilegious · impious · disrespectful
- pious fictionUseful falsehood upheld intentionally