Skip to content
GREMockTests
GRE vocabulary

sanctimonious

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore S words

making a hypocritical show of moral or religious superiority

Word origin: From Latin sanctus, holy.

Test your vocabulary in a real test Full-length · no signup · instant score
In a sentence

Sanctimonious in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing sanctimonious in a sentence.

His sanctimonious lectures grated on colleagues who knew his own failings.

His sanctimonious lectures on thrift rang hollow once his own lavish spending came to light.

Synonyms
self-righteousholier-than-thoupreachy
Antonyms
humblemodest
Usage & nuance

Using “sanctimonious” well

Sanctimonious describes a hypocritical show of moral or religious superiority, the parading of virtue one does not truly possess. The hypocrisy is essential; it is not mere piety but its smug pretense.

Common questions

Questions about “sanctimonious

Sanctimonious (adjective) means making a hypocritical show of moral or religious superiority
Here is sanctimonious used in an example sentence: "His sanctimonious lectures grated on colleagues who knew his own failings." Another example: "His sanctimonious lectures on thrift rang hollow once his own lavish spending came to light."
Common synonyms for sanctimonious include self-righteous, holier-than-thou, preachy.
Antonyms of sanctimonious include humble, modest.
Clusters with self-righteous, holier-than-thou, and preachy in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms humble and modest mark the opposite pole.
Yes. Sanctimonious is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

See these words the way the GRE tests them.

Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.