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Glite Dictionary
romish

romish

1 9.9
Used to describe the Roman Catholic Church in an insulting way
  • adjective
  • /ˈroʊmɪʃ/
  • Slur
translation icon : papista
  • A person lately was witnessing a ceremony of the Romish Church.

Examples

  • She attended a wedding ceremony held in a Romish cathedral, complete with elaborate rituals.

  • A person, lately, was witnessing a ceremony of the Romish church.

    Blog text (30)

  • The Gregorian reform smelled like a Romish plot, and Ussher's contemporaries would be damned if they would accept it.

    Academic text (1991)

  • "The Jesuits ... are simply the Romish army for the earthly sovereignty of the world in the future, with the Pontiff of Rome as emperor ... that's their ideal....

    Blog text (22)

  • The ornate decorations in the chapel reflect the rich tradition of the Romish Church.

  • Critics often argue that the Romish practices are outdated compared to modern beliefs.

Synonyms

Roman
vsromish
83 3.9

Related to the Catholic Church in Rome and its practices

is often used as a derogatory label in older usage
Roman Catholic
vsromish
37 3.2

Relating to the Christian church led by the Pope

is used in derogatory or disparaging ways, especially in earlier English
papist
vsromish
  • Offensive
9.9

Relating to the Roman Catholic Church, often used as an insult

is mainly a derogatory adjective rather than showing doctrinal support

Compounds

Romish art
  • Archaic
9.9

Art in Roman Catholic churches that uses rich decoration and gold

Romish dress
  • Archaic
9.9

A style of clothing worn for Roman Catholic ceremonies or by priests

Romish music
  • Archaic
9.9

Music from Romani people that is lively and often has fast rhythms

Surface Forms

romish positive

Morphology

romish = Rome (semi-transparent) = Rome + ish

The suffix '-ish' typically means 'having the characteristics of', but the specific derogatory connotation related to the Roman Catholic Church is not immediately evident.

Etymology

Romish comes from Rome and Roman, meaning 'of Rome', and was used to describe things connected to the Roman Catholic Church. So, calling something 'romish' meant it followed Roman Catholic ways and was often meant as a negative comment.