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Glite Dictionary
impiousness

impiousness

9.9
Not showing respect for a god or religion
  • noun
  • /ɪmˈpaɪəsnəs/
  • Formal
translation icon : 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
48 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
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
godlessness
vsimpiousness
2 8.3

A lack of belief in God or religion

centers on lacking respect or reverence rather than lacking belief
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
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
48 8.4
sacrilege
16 9.3
impiousness
  • Formal
9.9
irreverence
6 7.9
disrespect
133 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.