RIGHTEOUS Synonyms: 271 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'righteous' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of righteous are ethical , moral , noble , and virtuous . While all these words mean "conforming to a standard of what is right and good," righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious. // wished to be righteous before God and the world

Q: Where would 'ethical' be a reasonable alternative to 'righteous'?

The meanings of ethical and righteous largely overlap; however, ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity. // committed to the highest ethical principles

Q: When would 'moral' be a good substitute for 'righteous'?

Although the words moral and righteous have much in common, moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong. // the basic moral values of a community

Q: When might 'noble' be a better fit than 'righteous'?

While the synonyms noble and righteous are close in meaning, noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character. // had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

Q: When could 'virtuous' be used to replace 'righteous'?

While in some cases nearly identical to righteous , virtuous implies moral excellence in character. // not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

righteous

adjective

ˈrī-chəs

Definition of righteous

as in honorable

conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue a righteous man can be trusted to act honorably regardless of the circumstances

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in honest

following the accepted rules of moral conduct righteous behavior is its own reward

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in excellent

slang of the very best kind a nightspot that's a dependable venue for righteous jazz

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective righteous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of righteous are ethical, moral, noble, and virtuous. While all these words mean "conforming to a standard of what is right and good," righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious.

wished to be righteous before God and the world

Where would ethical be a reasonable alternative to righteous?

The meanings of ethical and righteous largely overlap; however, ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity.

committed to the highest ethical principles

When would moral be a good substitute for righteous?

Although the words moral and righteous have much in common, moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong.

the basic moral values of a community

When might noble be a better fit than righteous?

While the synonyms noble and righteous are close in meaning, noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character.

had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

When could virtuous be used to replace righteous?

While in some cases nearly identical to righteous, virtuous implies moral excellence in character.

not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

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 righteous Grisham, though, takes a page from le Carré; there’s righteous anger to be found here, too. — New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Amateur humiliation content has become widespread on the internet, giving Americans more opportunities than ever to indulge in gleeful disgust or righteous outrage. — Daniel Lachance, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026 But in the brave heart of this fictional protagonist, there lurks a righteous threshing machine, ripe for a Great Rebellion in writer-director Paul Greengrass’ latest feature. — Michael Phillips, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026 In hip-hop and other genres, producers were using snippets of other people’s records; courts often ruled that this was a form of theft, although hip-hop fans tended to see it as righteous theft. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for righteous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for righteous

Adjective

Central to the exhibition is the tension between the honorable and the immoral, the appealing and the revolting.

— News Desk, Artforum, 12 Oct. 2026
Dealing with the British, his Tenzing is scrupulous and honorable, but don’t confuse that with subservience.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of honorable

Adjective

My honest read on timing is that the five percent will be twenty percent by end of 2027, and fifty by end of 2029.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The original impetus for the film, to be honest, was to look at an incredible life story over a long German period.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of honest

Adjective

His 28-yard touchdown reception from Sam Darnold late in the second quarter beat Delane, who had excellent position.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
The biggest key for the Brewers in this game is to see if their bullpen can keep their excellent pitching alive.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of excellent

Adjective

Put another way, in bringing the footage into the realm of film, and not reality television—his domain—Fielder breached some ethical standard.

— Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
The collaboration with De Beers Group and Grandview Klein Diamonds is one of ethical sourcing and complete traceability.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of ethical

Adjective

All three books analyze how closely the Biden administration worked with a (very willing) mainstream media to portray Israel as a noble victim and to dehumanize Palestinians.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2026
Today, the firm founded in 1985 is known for its anti-mass-market bespoke interiors, furniture, lighting and accessories defined by clean lines, refined proportions, noble materials and a philosophy of luxurious simplicity.

— Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of noble

Adjective

Andrew Durand, with his handsome crab-apple features, makes a perfectly quizzical Benjamin; Kelsee Kimmel is stirring as his true love, who shares his age just once.

— Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Founded in Switzerland in 2010, On has collaborated with an impressive roster of partners over the last 16 years, from tennis legend Roger Federer to Spanish fashion house Loewe, all while staying true to its mission of celebrating movement.

— Kasey Busiel, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of true

Adjective

L3Harris claims its design can deliver greater range and speed than existing systems.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Tarantino revealed the most personally meaningful piece of casting in a film filled with great performances — including supporting turns by multiple actors (Austin Butler, Mikey Madison, Sydney Sweeney) who have blown up in the seven years since.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of great

Browse Nearby Words

righted

righteous

righteously

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Style

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

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Synonyms of righteous

adjective

Synonym Chooser

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