pious
/ˈpaɪəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpaɪəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpī-əs/ (ame, mw)
pious — adjective
- piouspositive
- more piouscomparative
- most pioussuperlative
1. Showing sincere and strong belief in a religion, especially through actions such
Showing sincere and strong belief in a religion, especially through actions such as regular worship, prayer, and moral living.
The pious old woman recited prayers at dawn each morning before opening her small bakery.
pious + religious practice (prayer, worship)
Kwame grew up in a pious family that observed every religious holiday with great care and generosity.
Many pious pilgrims walked for days to reach the temple at the top of the mountain.
Clara's pious devotion to charity work was well known throughout the neighbourhood.
Diego comes from a pious community where prayer and study are part of daily life.
- devout
Focuses on personal faithfulness and commitment to religious practice; slightly warmer and more natural in everyday English than 'pious'.
- religious
A broader, neutral term; does not carry the strength of active devotion that 'pious' implies.
- godly
Emphasises living according to God's will; more common in Christian contexts and has an old-fashioned feel.
- irreligious
Describes someone who shows no interest in religion or rejects it.
- impious
Specifically means lacking respect for God or religion; a direct opposite.
用法筆記
Neutral or positive in tone. The person genuinely follows their faith through visible actions. Distinguish from Sense 2, which is always disapproving.
常見錯誤
2. Behaving as if one is very religious or morally good while not being sincere — d
Behaving as if one is very religious or morally good while not being sincere — done to impress others or gain approval.
The politician's pious talk about family values did not match his scandalous private life.
disapproving context: pious talk vs. private scandal
Omar could not stand his pious colleague who lectured everyone but broke every rule himself.
contrasts words and actions
Fatima saw through his pious expressions of sympathy — he was simply fishing for votes.
The company made pious claims about protecting the environment, yet they were caught dumping chemicals into the river.
Wei wore a pious expression during the funeral, but he had not spoken to the deceased in years.
- sanctimonious
Stronger and more formal than 'pious'; emphasises the irritating, self-righteous tone of the person.
- hypocritical
Focuses on the gap between stated beliefs and actual behaviour; a more general term not limited to religion.
- holier-than-thou
Informal and vivid; describes someone who acts as if they are morally superior to others.
- sincere
Describes genuine feelings and honest behaviour, the opposite of pretending.
用法筆記
Always disapproving. The insincerity is the core of this sense — the person's behaviour looks good on the surface but their real actions or motives are the opposite. Commonly used with nouns like 'talk', 'claims', 'expressions', 'attitude'.
常見錯誤
3. Used before words like 'hope' or 'wish' to describe something you very much want
Used before words like 'hope' or 'wish' to describe something you very much want but that almost certainly will not happen.
After the star player's injury, the team's chance of winning was little more than a pious hope.
fixed expression: pious hope
Calling it a plan would be generous — it was really just a pious wish with no budget or staff.
The government's promise to end child poverty remains a pious hope for millions of struggling families.
Grandpa clung to the pious hope that the storm would turn away before reaching the coastal villages.
Anna dismissed the project proposal as a pious dream that no one would ever pay for.
- vain
Used similarly before 'hope' (e.g., 'vain hope'), meaning a hope that will not succeed; 'vain' is slightly more literary.
- forlorn
Describes a hope that is both unlikely and desperate; emphasises sadness rather than impracticality.
- unrealistic
A direct, neutral term for something that is not likely to happen; lacks the formal tone of 'pious'.
- realistic
Describes a goal or expectation that is achievable.
- achievable
Describes something that can be done with reasonable effort.
文法句型
pious + hope / wish / desire / dream
用法筆記
Appears almost exclusively before nouns like 'hope', 'wish', 'desire', or 'dream'. Not used on its own to describe people. The phrase 'pious hope' is the most common fixed expression.