What is a holier than thou attitude?

English Language Learners Definition of holier-than-thou : having or showing the annoying attitude of people who believe that they are morally better than other people. See the full definition for holier-than-thou in the English Language Learners Dictionary. How do you use holier than thou?
1. I can’t stand his holier-than-thou attitude. 2. She was intensely irritated by Emma’s holier-than-thou attitude.

Is holier than thou an idiom?

If you describe someone as holier-than-thou, you mean that they seem to believe that they have better moral qualities than anyone else. He has always sounded holier-than-thou. Who is a self-righteous person?
A self-righteous person thinks their beliefs and morals are better than everyone else’s. … Join the Old English words self, meaning one’s own person, and rightwise, meaning virtuous, and you’ve got somebody who thinks very highly of their own morality.

What is it called when you think you are better than everyone else?

superiority Add to list Share. Superiority is the quality of being better than or superior to someone else. … Of course, sometimes superiority is all in your head; in that case, some people might say you have a superiority complex, which means that you think you’re better than everyone else! Is holier than thou hyphenated?

This term comes from the Bible (Isaiah 65:5), where the prophet, speaking of sinners, holds that they say “Come not near me, for I am holier than thou.” The term is often used as an adjective (and hyphenated: holier-than-thou) as in Sinclair Lewis’s novel Babbitt (1922), “But I don’t want you to think you can get away …

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

Where does holier than thou come from?

From Isaiah 65:5 in the Bible (King James Version; spelling modernized): “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou”; from Biblical Hebrew קְדַשְׁתִּיךָ‎ (qəḏaštîḵā).

What does thou mean in Old English?

(Entry 1 of 3) archaic. : the one addressed thou shalt have no other gods before me — Exodus 20:3 (King James Version) —used especially in ecclesiastical or literary language and by Friends as the universal form of address to one person — compare thee, thine, thy, ye, you.

What is a synonym for Gambit?

noun. 1’the most ambitious financial gambit in history’ stratagem, machination, scheme, plan, tactic, manoeuvre, move, course of action, line of action, device, operation. ruse, trick, ploy, artifice.

What is the synonym of officious?

Choose the Right Synonym for officious impertinent, officious, meddlesome, intrusive, obtrusive mean given to thrusting oneself into the affairs of others.

What is a goody goody?

What is the definition of holier?

North German and Danish: from a Germanic personal name Hucger, a compound of hug ‘heart’, ‘mind’, ‘spirit’ + ger ‘spear’. Danish (Høyer, Højer): variant of Hoy 4.

What is a priggish?

adjective. fussy about trivialities or propriety, especially in a self-righteous or irritating manner:At the beginning of the book, Eustace is an unpleasant, unlikable, and priggish character.

What does it mean if something is pretentious?

a : making usually unjustified or excessive claims (as of value or standing) the pretentious fraud who assumes a love of culture that is alien to him— Richard Watts. b : expressive of affected, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance, worth, or stature pretentious language pretentious houses.

Is self-righteous an insult?

The term self-righteous is often considered derogatory (see, for example, journalist and essayist James Fallows’ description of self-righteousness in regard to Nobel Peace Prize winners) particularly because self-righteous individuals are often thought to exhibit hypocrisy due to the belief that humans are imperfect …

Are Narcissists self-righteous?

Self-righteous narcissists are those who derive their narcissistic validation and supply by maintaining themselves as a sort of a morally superior person – and will be more focused on doing things just so and having control, rather than from a more flexible place of heart.

What makes a person righteous in God’s eyes?

This righteousness is a righteousness that we receive from God. … A human person is not righteous in God’s eyes because of his choice or commitment, his good works or his piety, his emotions or intellect. Instead, he is righteous because the Father chooses him from the foundation of the world (Eph.

Why do I have a superiority complex?

It’s unclear why anyone develops a superiority complex. Multiple situations or incidents may be the root cause. For example, it may be the result of multiple failures. A person tries to complete a specific goal or achieve a desired outcome, but they don’t succeed.

What is a word for superiority complex?

[chiefly British], snobbery, snobbishness, snobbism, snootiness.

What is it called when someone acts superior?

conceited, egocentric, egoistic. (also egoistical), egotistic.

Is holier than thou one word?

obnoxiously pious; sanctimonious; self-righteous.

What does Sacrimonious mean?

: pretending to be morally better than other people.

Is superficial antonyms of deep?

Frequently Asked Questions About superficial The words cursory and shallow are common synonyms of superficial. While all three words mean lacking in depth or solidity, superficial implies a concern only with surface aspects or obvious features.

Can thou be plural?

pronoun, singular, nominative thou;possessive thy or thine;objective thee;plural, nominative you or ye;possessive your or yours;objective you or ye.

Is there a plural for thou?

The plural form of thou is thous or thou.

When did thou become?

In Old English, thou was governed by a simple rule: thou addressed one person, and ye more than one. Beginning in the 1300s thou was gradually replaced by the plural ye as the form of address for a superior person and later for an equal.