All 3 Uses of
pious
in
Jacob Have I Loved
- "Whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool,' shall be in danger of hell fire," she quoted piously.
Chpt 12 *piously = in a highly religious or moral manner
- "It is better," I recited piously, "to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house with a contentious woman."
Chpt 18
- He didn't know anything about me or the day I was born or he'd never say such a foolish thing, sitting there so piously at his kitchen table, sounding for all the world like a Methodist preacher.
Chpt 19 *piously = in a self-righteous or holier-than-thou manner
Definitions:
-
(1)
(pious as in: a good, pious woman) religious or highly moral
-
(2)
(pious as in: a pious hypocrite) self-righteous (acting as though one is, or believing one is highly moral when it is not true)
-
(3)
(pious as in: cling to the pious hope) (describing a hope or wish as) sincere, but highly unlikely