1
as in loyal
firm in one's allegiance to someone or something
a pious supporter of his school's athletic teams, during winning and losing seasons alike
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devout
showing a devotion to God and to a life of virtue
a pious woman who decided to become a nun
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pious
Each letter comes across as a set piece, a small achievement of style and tone: Vasari’s flowery, deferential missives to the duke, Maria’s youthful ardor and confusion, the overly pious cattiness of a nun.
—
Chelsea Leu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
For pious viewers who may traditionally shy away from the horror genre, The Bondsman may surprise with some very tender and spiritual moments.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
Paxton, pious to the end, responds by talking about the Great Prayer Experiment, a (very real) series of studies that sought to test whether prayer has any tangible healing impact — and conclusively found there to be not.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
As the emboldened queen is beheaded, King Henry is seen preparing to wed his third wife, the pious and soft-spoken Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips).
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pious
Chelsea Leu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
For pious viewers who may traditionally shy away from the horror genre, The Bondsman may surprise with some very tender and spiritual moments.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
Paxton, pious to the end, responds by talking about the Great Prayer Experiment, a (very real) series of studies that sought to test whether prayer has any tangible healing impact — and conclusively found there to be not.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
As the emboldened queen is beheaded, King Henry is seen preparing to wed his third wife, the pious and soft-spoken Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips).
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pious
Adjective
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His close friends and colleagues often described him as loyal, deeply thoughtful, and warm in his own way—just not overly expressive.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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The friends not keen on competing become our valiant team of producers — recording content and posting updates live for our loyal Instagram fanbase (almost 200 followers).—
Mia Venkat,
NPR,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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In 2023, Caviezel, a devout Catholic, starred in mega box office breakout Sound Of Freedom, produced by faith-friendly Angel Studios, and is next due to reprise his role as Jesus in Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
17 May 2025
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Local family members and friends know the new pontiff as a lifelong devout Catholic and former altar boy who makes frequent trips back home to the Chicago area, cheering for the White Sox and enjoying a slice of Aurelio’s pizza when back in town.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Despite Aspinall winning the interim crown, UFC CEO Dana White remained steadfast in saying that Jones vs. Miocic was the fight to make.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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Over the years, the Biden family has confronted unimaginable adversity with grace and steadfast perseverance.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Some of those details are in opposition to one another – the ancient and the modern, the religious and the secular -particularly in Riyadh.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
27 May 2025
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The Nazis’ demonization of ethnic and religious minorities, as well as political opponents, led to the Holocaust.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Macgregor, a staunch anti-interventionist, advocates for dropping Russian sanctions completely rather than imposing more, and argues the U.S. national strategic interests do not conflict with Russia’s.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
28 May 2025
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Makary, who was sworn in to lead the FDA on April 1, is a controversial Johns Hopkins University surgeon and researcher who gained national attention as a staunch critic of the federal response to COVID.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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Of course, Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron is still a reverent work, leaving out a few messier strands of the man’s life that Miyazaki-heads might be curious about.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2024
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Taylor’s casket, covered with an American flag, was taken through reverent procession in Bell County on May 13 from Temple to the funeral home in Copperas Cove, KXXV reported.—
Kate Linderman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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But being faithful to existing customers is one of her most important obligations.—
Liz Thach,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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Normally the complaint with an adaptation is that the show or film's creators are ruining the story somehow by being insufficiently faithful to the source material and losing something in the process.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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There is some irony that the lawmakers working on the bill with preliminary votes on both Saturday and Sunday, the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sabbath, violated the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
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The march commemorates Jerusalem Day, which marks Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pious. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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