self-righteousness
Holier-than-thou attitude
Self-righteousness is smug certainty about one's own moral superiority.
The self-righteous person believes their values and conduct are beyond reproach while others fall short: His self-righteousness made him insufferable to work with.
The term is always pejorative—it suggests the confidence is unearned or hypocritical, a pose of virtue rather than genuine goodness.
Feigning beliefs one lacks
- pharisaicalHypocritically self-righteous
- inconsistencyLack of steady pattern
- insincerityLack of genuine feeling
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
two-faced · sanctimony · pretense · holier-than-thou · posturing · affectation · cant · lip-service
Feigning moral superiority
- holier-than-thouSmugly moralistic toward others
- smugExcessively self-satisfied
- self-satisfiedSmugly pleased with oneself
- complacentUncritically self-satisfied
superiority · arrogance · condescension · smugness · priggish · self-importance · pomposity · haughtiness
Delivering moral discourse
- sermonizingLecturing on morals
- pontificatingSpeaking pompously at length
- lecturingGiving an instructive talk
- hectoringAggressive verbal intimidation
didactic · preachy · judgmental · censorious · admonishing · finger-wagging · scolding · reproachful
Inclined to criticize others
- bigotedStubbornly intolerant of others
- narrow-mindedIntolerant of differing views
- prejudicedBiased against a group
- biasedUnfairly favoring one side
intolerant · opinionated · dogmatic · rigid · inflexible · uncompromising · obstinate · stubborn
Faithfully devoted to worship
- devoutDeeply religious, sincere
- pietisticAffectedly devout in manner
- puritanicalExcessively strict about morals
- fundamentalistStrict original-doctrine adherent
zealous · evangelical · dogmatic · doctrinaire · fanatical · sectarian · inquisitorial · theocratic
hypocritical
Feigning beliefs one lacks
- pharisaicalHypocritically self-righteous
- inconsistencyLack of steady pattern
- insincerityLack of genuine feeling
duplicity · two-faced · sanctimony · pretense · holier-than-thou · posturing · affectation · cant · lip-service · performative
sanctimonious
Feigning moral superiority
- holier-than-thouSmugly moralistic toward others
- smugExcessively self-satisfied
- self-satisfiedSmugly pleased with oneself
complacent · superiority · arrogance · condescension · smugness · priggish · self-importance · pomposity · haughtiness · snobbish
preaching
Delivering moral discourse
- sermonizingLecturing on morals
- pontificatingSpeaking pompously at length
- lecturingGiving an instructive talk
hectoring · didactic · preachy · judgmental · censorious · admonishing · finger-wagging · scolding · reproachful · reprimanding
judgmental
Inclined to criticize others
- bigotedStubbornly intolerant of others
- narrow-mindedIntolerant of differing views
- prejudicedBiased against a group
biased · intolerant · opinionated · dogmatic · rigid · inflexible · uncompromising · obstinate · stubborn · closed-minded
pious
Faithfully devoted to worship
- devoutDeeply religious, sincere
- pietisticAffectedly devout in manner
- puritanicalExcessively strict about morals
fundamentalist · zealous · evangelical · dogmatic · doctrinaire · fanatical · sectarian · inquisitorial · theocratic · absolutist
- self-righteousnesssanctimony, moralism, holier-than-thou, judgmentalism, censoriousness
- vicesgreed, envy, lust, gluttony, vanity
- hypocrisyhypocrisy, hypocrite, sanctimony, two-faced, holier than thou
- moral emotionsguilt, shame, remorse, moral guilt, conscience
- closed-mindednessclosed-mindedness, close-mindedness, narrow-mindedness, inflexibility, rigidity
- fatal flawsfatal flaw, tragic flaw, hubris, hamartia, Achilles heel
self-righteousnesshumility
Freedom from arrogance
modesty · self-criticism · self-doubt · self-awareness · contrition
self-righteousnesstolerance
Willingness to accept difference
compassion · forgiveness · mercy · acceptance · understanding
self-righteousnessintellectual humility
Awareness of cognitive fallibility
open-mindedness · self-questioning · receptiveness · teachability · epistemic humility
righteous, righteousness, righteously, self-assurance, self-righteous, self-righteously