sententiously
In lecturing tones
Sententiously describes speaking or writing in a way that's moralizing, preachy, or self-importantly wise—often with an air of pompous brevity.
Someone who speaks sententiously delivers pronouncements as if dispensing great truths: He sententiously declared that hard work never killed anyone.
The word usually carries a negative edge, suggesting the speaker is more impressed with their wisdom than the listener is.
Intended to instruct
- preachyExcessively moralizing in tone
- judgmentalInclined to criticize others
- righteousMorally good, justified
- virtuousMorally excellent, principled
ethical · principled · instructive · admonishing · reproachful · censorious · exhortative · homiletic
Speaking pompously at length
- self-importantExaggerating one's own significance
- preachyExcessively moralizing in tone
- moralisticProne to lecturing others
- sanctimoniousFeigning moral superiority
holier-than-thou · self-righteous · smug · condescending · patronizing · overbearing · sermonizing · dogmatic
didactic
Intended to instruct
- preachyExcessively moralizing in tone
- judgmentalInclined to criticize others
- righteousMorally good, justified
virtuous · ethical · principled · instructive · admonishing · reproachful · censorious · exhortative · homiletic · edifying
pontificating
Speaking pompously at length
- self-importantExaggerating one's own significance
- preachyExcessively moralizing in tone
- moralisticProne to lecturing others
sanctimonious · holier-than-thou · self-righteous · smug · condescending · patronizing · overbearing · sermonizing · dogmatic · pietistic
pithy
Concise and forceful
- epigrammaticCleverly concise in expression
- proverbialWidely known from maxims
- gnomicTerse and enigmatic
quotable · adage · aphorism · dictum · axiom · truism · platitude · precept · apothegm · pointed
sententiouslyhumbly
Without pride or arrogance
modestly · unpretentiously · self-deprecatingly · unassumingly · tentatively
sententiouslydiffusely
In a spread-out way
long-windedly · ramblingly · verbosely · wordily · expansively
sententiouslycasually
In an informal way
offhandedly · informally · conversationally · lightheartedly · playfully