pharisaical
Someone who is pharisaical preaches one thing and then does another — not a good trait for politicians or even playground pals.
Why use pharisaical when you could say hypocritical? In general, you would probably use the word in especially severe cases of hypocrisy, particularly when someone is not only a hypocrite, but acts superior and is being particularly annoying about it. The word pharisaical can be traced all the way back to the Pharisees, an ancient Jewish group who insisted on the strict following of certain laws, though some people considered the group to be self-righteous.
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excessively or hypocritically pious
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synonyms:
holier-than-thou, pharisaic, pietistic, pietistical, sanctimonious, self-righteous
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pious
having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity
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pious
Vocabulary lists containing pharisaical
Eighteen-year-old Ella Minnow Pea fights to save her family, friends, and neighbors after the local government forbids the use certain letters of the alphabet in written and spoken communications.
Set in a rural community in southwest England, this novel traces the complicated relationship of Gabriel Oak and Bathsheba Everdene.
First published in 1792, this essay argues that women should have access to the same educational opportunities afforded to men. Read the full text here.
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