PIOUS Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

pious

adjective

ˈpī-əs

Definition of pious

as in steadfast

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

as in devout

showing a devotion to God and to a life of virtue a pious woman who decided to become a nun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pious Others regard the unum as a pious myth. — James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 However, this distinction did more than pit pious Americans against an atheist enemy. — David Williamson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026 In Wake-Keeper (2026), a roughly four-by-five-foot canvas, a pious man draped in the red cloth of traditional Ghanaian funeral attire sits on a stool with his hands clasped, his body facing the left side of the frame. — Lovia Gyarkye, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026 The aim wasn’t to make the chatbot Bible-thumping or pious. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for pious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pious

Adjective

Meanwhile, waiting in the wings is a man of few words — and initially, few feelings, or so thinks Marianne — the steadfast Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum).

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
The poem continues with more verses about Burns’s steadfast love, but beyond that, nothing really happens.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of steadfast

Adjective

Indeed, in Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, Ali stars as Latif, a devout Muslim and contract killer who travels across Houston in an effort to protect his three children following the death of his wife.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
Skillet now regularly shares stages with a wide range of acts, from the devout to the secular, including Korn, Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown, Disturbed, and Papa Roach.

— Steve Appleford, SPIN, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of devout

Adjective

Some residents say Netanyahu failed to deliver security or attend to the north; others remain loyal and argue Israel should strike Hezbollah harder.

— Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Name brands still have loyal customers, but the momentum behind private label suggests recognizable packaging is no longer the deciding factor in what shoppers put in their carts.

— Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of loyal

Adjective

However, its point of greatest eclipse occurs just a few miles from Thebes, the magnificent religious and political capital of ancient Egypt's Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Maryland's Freedom to Read Act states that material cannot be removed from school libraries based on political, religious or personal views.

— Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of religious

Adjective

Predominantly Muslim Malaysia is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause and has no diplomatic or direct economic ties with Israel.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
The billionaire developer lost to Bass in the 2022 election, and was a staunch critic of the mayor for her response to the 2025 Palisades fire.

— Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of staunch

Adjective

Brought from the page to the gallery wall, Loran’s diagram looks a bit like anti-art rather than reverent analysis of a masterpiece.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
But an extensive fiiing made by the trust to a Tennessee court late Tuesday afternoon paint a different portrait of Seaver than the reverent one seen in the death announcement video.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of reverent

Adjective

The Egyptian presidency said Cairo was prepared to provide Saudi Arabia with necessary support to defend its security, stability, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
The holy man was eventually burned at the stake as a heretic.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of holy

Browse Nearby Words

pioneers

pious

piousness

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Style

“Pious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pious. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pious

adjective

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