holier-than-thou
morally arrogant
TRANSLATION
thou = du holier = heiliger holier-than-thou = selbstgefällig, selbstgerecht, pharisäisch --- GOOGLE INDEX holier-than-thou: approximately 563,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
HOLIER-THAN-THOU no more. The corruption scandal surrounding Brazil’s governing Workers’ Party has deepened, forcing the resignation of a string of top officials.
The Economist
The Economist
Did you
know?
holier than thou
idiom
- people who are holier-than-thou think that they are morally better than anyone else
(Cambridge Dictionary)
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The exact origin of this expression is unknown. It may have come from a biblical passage in Isaiah 65:5. In the King James Version, we read: "Come not near me, for I am holier than thou."
Someone who is holy is dedicated to God. The word "thou" originated in Old English, and was used at the time as an ordinary pronoun meaning "you". At one time, in certain Bible translations, it referred exclusively to God and was capitalized.
A group of religious leaders, called Pharisees, followed the Bible closely. They observed religious laws so strictly that they even opposed Jesus doing good works on the Sabbath.
In this case, you might say that their behaviour was "holier than thou" because, in their self-righteousness, they not only placed themselves above other believers, but above God's word.
Today we use the term to refer to someone who considers himself to be morally superior in character, which he believes puts him in a position to judge others. However, some people consider this to be exactly the opposite of the biblical warning "judge not lest ye be judged".
(adapted from wise geek.com)
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SYNONYMS
self-righteous, pious, disapproving, sanctimonious, smug, artificial, god-fearing, preachy, superior
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Many people find it difficult to respect people with holier-than-thou attitudes."
idiom
- people who are holier-than-thou think that they are morally better than anyone else
(Cambridge Dictionary)
---
The exact origin of this expression is unknown. It may have come from a biblical passage in Isaiah 65:5. In the King James Version, we read: "Come not near me, for I am holier than thou."
Someone who is holy is dedicated to God. The word "thou" originated in Old English, and was used at the time as an ordinary pronoun meaning "you". At one time, in certain Bible translations, it referred exclusively to God and was capitalized.
A group of religious leaders, called Pharisees, followed the Bible closely. They observed religious laws so strictly that they even opposed Jesus doing good works on the Sabbath.
In this case, you might say that their behaviour was "holier than thou" because, in their self-righteousness, they not only placed themselves above other believers, but above God's word.
Today we use the term to refer to someone who considers himself to be morally superior in character, which he believes puts him in a position to judge others. However, some people consider this to be exactly the opposite of the biblical warning "judge not lest ye be judged".
(adapted from wise geek.com)
---
SYNONYMS
self-righteous, pious, disapproving, sanctimonious, smug, artificial, god-fearing, preachy, superior
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Many people find it difficult to respect people with holier-than-thou attitudes."
