pious means of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, god-fearing. It carries an Arena rating of 1515, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pious ranks #1,378 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #2,415 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #5,169 of 17,136 for Most Malleable Words, #6,630 of 17,132 for Most Beautiful Words.
pious is pronounced /ˈpaɪəs/.
Why “pious” is a great word
Marked by or showing reverence for a deity and devotion to religious duties and practices, but also implying a potential for affectation or hypocrisy. From the Latin *pius*, meaning 'dutiful, devout, pious'. Unlike 'devout', which suggests a sincere, deeply felt religious feeling, or 'sanctimonious', which explicitly denotes hypocritical piety, 'pious' occupies an unstable middle ground where devotion and performance are indistinguishable. It is the precisely folded hands in the pew, the ostentatiously murmured grace before a meager meal, the public donation made with a silent prayer for recognition—a word that captures the eternal ambiguity of whether virtue is performed for heaven or for an audience, the line between reverence and performance as thin as the wax that seals a confession.
Etymology
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.
adj
- Of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, god-fearing.
- Relating to religion or religious works.e.g.“A pious cause.”
- Insisting on or making a show of one's own virtue, especially in comparison to others; sanctimonious, condescending, judgmental.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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