pecksniffianism · noun — synonym of Pecksniffery. It carries an Arena rating of 1339, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pecksniffianism ranks #227 of 17,166 for Most Satisfying to Say, #567 of 17,206 for The Improbable, #578 of 17,203 for Funniest Words, #2,083 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words.
Why “pecksniffianism” is a great word
PECKSNIFFIANISM — [Noun] The quality or practice of being hypocritically and smugly moralistic. From Pecksniffian (meaning hypocritically self-righteous, from Seth Pecksniff, a character in Charles Dickens's 1844 novel *Martin Chuzzlewit*) + -ism (suffix forming nouns of action or condition). First attested in the 1860s. Unlike "sanctimony," which denotes a general display of pious righteousness, or "pharisaism," which implies a historical, ritualistic hypocrisy, Pecksniffianism is a secular, literary hypocrisy characterized by cloying, self-satisfied warmth. It is the damp, insistent pressure of a handshake held too long; the public sigh of disappointment over a neighbor's minor failing; the oily gleam of satisfaction on a face delivering a platitude. To witness Pecksniffianism is to see virtue worn as a cheap cologne, leaving a greasy residue on the soul.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Pecksniffian + -ism.
noun
- Synonym of Pecksniffery.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.