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Glite Dictionary
impiousness

impiousness

9.9
Not showing respect for a god or religion
  • noun
  • /ɪmˈpaɪəsnəs/
  • Formal
: impiedad
  • A little later (Ch. 46, "Surmises"), the narrator speaks of Ahab's "subtle insanity" and "strange imaginative impiousness."

Examples

  • His impiousness was evident when he openly mocked the rituals of the ancient religion.

  • The community disapproved of her impiousness, believing it undermined their spiritual traditions.

  • Many saw his impiousness as a challenge to their beliefs and a threat to the harmony of their faith.

Synonyms

blasphemy
vsimpiousness
44 8.4

An act that shows strong disrespect for God or for things a religion calls holy

describes the enduring quality of lacking respect rather than a single act
godlessness
vsimpiousness
2 8.3

A lack of belief in God or religion

centers on lacking respect or reverence rather than lacking belief
impiety
vsimpiousness
  • Formal
2 9.9

Showing no respect for God or holy things

is limited to lacking respect specifically for a god or religion
ungodliness
vsimpiousness
1 8.9

Lack of respect for God or religion, often shown in bad behavior

focuses only on lack of respect not on general moral badness
profaneness
vsimpiousness
1 9.3

Lack of respect for things people consider holy

applies more narrowly to lack of respect for a god or religion
sacrilegiousness
vsimpiousness
9.9

Showing disrespect for things people hold as sacred

refers specifically to lacking respect for a god or religion rather than any sacred thing

Antonyms

piety
23 7.7

A strong religious feeling and respect that leads to regular prayer and kind actions

How Irreverent

blasphemy
44 8.4
sacrilege
15 9.3
impiousness
  • Formal
9.9
irreverence
6 7.9
disrespect
129 3.4

Surface Forms

impiousness singular
impiousnesses plural

Morphology

impiousness = impious (transparent) = im + pious + ness

The adjective 'impious' (im- + pious) is clearly negated and the noun-forming '-ness' creates a straightforward nominal quality; learners who know 'pious' and the negative prefix will reliably infer the meaning.

Etymology

The word impiousness comes from pious, which means 'religiously dutiful' or 'devout', plus the prefix im- meaning 'not'. So, impiousness is the state of being not pious — in other words a lack of respect for religion or religious things.