thinking you are morally better than other people► self-righteous feeling very confident about how good you are and about your high moral standards, in a way that annoys other people: · His grandparents were stern and self-righteous people.· I've got nothing against vegetarians, but some of them are so self-righteous!
► sanctimonious behaving as if you are morally better than other people, especially in telling them what you think is right and wrong: · Don't be so sanctimonious, Helen! I'll live my life the way I want to live it.· The Principal reacted to the school party with an air of sanctimonious disapproval.
► holier-than-thou showing other people very clearly that you think you are morally better than they are: · I know he doesn't smoke or drink but I wish he wasn't so holier-than-thou.· She was intensely irritated by Emma's holier-than-thou attitude.
► moralistic telling other people what you think is right or wrong about their behaviour, especially in an annoying way or when you have no right to do this: · Our teachers were dull, uninspiring, and moralistic.· a moralistic, middle-class newspaper
► preachy trying too hard to make people accept your ideas about what it right or wrong, especially when this is unnecessary or annoying: · It's not a bad book, but it's a bit preachy.· Much of the film is preachy, pretentious, and slow.
showing that you think you are morally better than other people – used to show disapproval SYN self-righteous