churchy demeanor
- noun
- Offensive
:
actitud santurrona
- Her churchy demeanor made her seem judgmental rather than understanding.
Examples
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He tried to hide his excitement behind a churchy demeanor of solemnity and restraint.
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Many students rolled their eyes at his churchy demeanor during the assembly.
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Her churchy demeanor made everyone feel uncomfortable.
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I can't stand his churchy demeanor during discussions.
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His churchy demeanor often alienated his friends, as they found it overly moralistic.
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Despite her friendly smile, her churchy demeanor suggested she disapproved of many lifestyles.
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The speaker's churchy demeanor made the audience feel judged instead of inspired.
Synonyms
3
9.9
Pretending to be morally better than others
1
9.9
To pretend to be morally better than other people
Strict religious behavior that pretends to be good and judges others
Showing too much religious feeling to get attention
To talk in a long, annoying way about right and wrong
Behavior like a strict church leader who judges others
A way of speaking or acting that sounds moral and like a preacher
A way of behaving that is too proper and judges others for small mistakes
A formal, serious way of acting like a church leader
Antonyms
How Churchy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and predictably composed from 'churchy' (excessively religious/moralizing) + 'demeanor' (behavior), so it straightforwardly denotes an overly pious or moralistic manner. This adjective+noun pattern is a transparent, cross-linguistic composition, meaning a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the phrase's meaning.
Etymology
Churchy demeanor may come from the simple image of someone acting as if they are in church. Here churchy means 'church-like' and demeanor means 'the way you act', so picture a serious face, folded hands and a look that judges others. That's why it now means 'overly pious' or 'self-righteous'.