pious Hear it!

pious Definition

pi·ous (əs)

adjective

  1. having or showing religious devotion; zealous in the performance of religious obligations
  2. springing from actual or pretended religious devotion or moral motives
  3. seemingly virtuous; affecting virtue hypocritically
  4. sacred, as distinguished from secular or profane
  5. Archaic having or showing a sense of duty and loyalty to family, friends, etc.

Etymology: L pius, pious, devout, affectionate, good, prob. < IE *pwīyos < base *peu-, to clean > L purus, pure

pious Related Forms

pi·ously adverb pi·ous·ness noun

pious Synonyms

pious

modif.

  1. Religious

    religious, divine, holy, devout; see religious 2.

  2. Divine

    hallowed, sacred, holy; see divine 2.

  3. Related to those who profess piety

    religious, clerical, priestly, ecclesiastical; see religious 1. See syn. study at religious.

pious Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • platitude: Stood beside him putting forth his own pious platitudes was Tony Blair.
  • devotion: It may be that sometimes it is just a pious devotion with no deep theological background.
  • sentiment: These are not mere pious sentiments but the very promises of God on which we all depend.
  • founder: Even today La Cartuja is still giving up the secrets of its pious founders ' past.
  • fraud: A great deal of pious fraud went on in writings of the ancient world.

Modifying Another Word

  • very: The purpose of the European Union is a very divine purpose, a very pious purpose, a very religious purpose.
  • too: Sergeant, still in contemplative mode, chips in that we should not get too pious about a low turnout.
  • so: He was revered by many as a saint because he was so pious.
  • not: She was rather stout than otherwise, and she was not pious; moreover, she was not anxious on Jim's account.
  • deeply: At the same time the author concedes that he was not deeply pious.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: However, Allah has made fasting compulsory so that we become pious, God-fearing and God-conscious.
  • sound: It sounds so pious to say, 'I'll just rely on the Lord ' , but it isn't Scriptural.
  • get: Sergeant, still in contemplative mode, chips in that we should not get too pious about a low turnout.

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