Q12
EnglishIdioms, Phrasal Verbs & Proverbs
The expression 'holier than thou' means
- a.pure
- b.religious
- c.moralistic
- d.sanctimonious
Answer: (D) sanctimonious
'Holier-than-thou' describes someone who displays an attitude of moral superiority over others; the best single-word match is 'sanctimonious' (also self-righteous, smug, priggish). The phrase echoes the Bible (Isaiah 65:5). 'Pure' and 'religious' are positive qualities without any sense of showing off, while 'moralistic' (given to moralising) comes close but lacks the hypocritical, superior tone that 'sanctimonious' captures exactly.