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preachy

preachy

11 6.8
Giving moral advice in a boring, bossy way
  • adjective
  • /ˈpriːtʃi/
  • Informal
translation icon : moralizante
  • The lecture was so preachy that many students felt overwhelmed by the constant moral advice.
  • get preachy
  • sound preachy
  • too preachy

I'm getting a little preachy, but yeah, man.

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Examples

  • The answers and the message evolve organically and are never preachy or political.

    Blog text (14)
  • It's a little preachy in parts, but overall, it's pretty good.

  • And you got all these preachy people telling you what you should do.

  • - Well, sometimes she gets a little too preachy with everyone.

  • What can we do to get people to eat healthier without coming across as preachy or controlling?

    Blog text (16)
  • She was religious, but not preachy about it.

  • He sure is preachy today.

  • My own opinion is that you're being a little preachy about this, but hey, that's your right.

    Blog text (30)
  • The teenagers found it to be informative, did not find it boring, but did find it a bit "preachy."

    Academic text (2004)
  • I mean, I thought it was, you know, satirically searing without being dogmatic, and it was personal without being preachy.

Synonyms

sermonic
vspreachy
1 7.5

Speaking seriously to teach people about right and wrong

is similar but sounds more judgmental and tiresome
pharisaical
vspreachy
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Pretending to be morally better than other people

is similar but less about hypocrisy and more about tedious lecturing
homiletic
vspreachy
  • Formal
9.9

Relating to sermons or like a sermon that gives moral advice

is more tiring and openly self-righteous when giving moral advice
parenetic
vspreachy
  • Literature
9.9

Giving advice that urges people to behave morally

is more tiresome and self-righteous in the way advice is given
Pharisee-like
vspreachy
  • Offensive
9.9

Showing false moral pride and judging others harshly

is more about boring moral advice than about hidden hypocrisy

Antonyms

222 2.8

Not proud and not thinking you are better than others

How Moralizing

sanctimonious
23 8.5
didactic
  • Literature
5 8.1
preachy
  • Informal
11 6.8
advisory
  • Formal
48 4.2
neutral
218 3.6

Surface Forms

preachy positive

Morphology

preachy = preach (transparent) = preach + y

Standard adjectival formation from the verb 'preach' with the predictable meaning 'characterized by preaching' that learners can infer from 'preach'.

Etymology

The word preachy comes from preach, which originally meant 'to speak publicly about right and wrong' and is the idea behind a preacher who gives moral talks. So something 'preachy' gives advice or moral lessons in a tiresome or self-righteous way.