pious

Borrowed from Latin pīus (“pious, dutiful, blessed, kind, devout”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“pure”). Cognate with Old English fǣle (“faithful, trusty, good; dear, beloved”). More at feal.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpaɪəs/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -aɪəs

pious (comparative more pious, superlative most pious)

1. Of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, godfearing.
   • December 2014, “Archived copy”, in National Geographic‎, archived from the original on 12 February 2015, retrieved 7 September 2021:

     Its male residents dress like crows: heavy black suits, black Borsalino hats, the old grandfathers hugely whiskered and the boys in peot, the curled sidelocks of the pious.

2. Relating to religion or religious works.
   • A pious cause.
3. Insisting on or making a show of one's own virtue, especially in comparison to others; sanctimonious, condescending, judgmental.

• Sometimes used pejoratively, in the sense of "mistaken" or "false" piety, as in "pious errors", "pious frauds".

• reverent, reverential, dutiful, religious, devout, godly, observant

• (of or pertaining to piety): impious, independent, profane

• frum

• piously
• piousness
• pi

• piety

• pouis