righteous
/ˈɹaɪt͡ʃəs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.80 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Moral and virtuous, perhaps to the point of sanctimony.
verb
To make righteous; specifically, to justify religiously, to absolve from sin.
Example Sentences
- "The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bolde as a lyon."
- "Human beings should take a righteous path, and so should art. We should promote kindness and beauty through art."
- "righteous indignation"
- "The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude."
- "He sold me a bulging paper sack full of Cambodian Red for two dolla' MPC. A strange experience, copping from a kid, but it was righteous weed."
- "Tonight the kids will go out and party down in a more righteous mode. Alcohol and not a few tabs of X will be ingested. Club music will throb through big speakers."
Etymology
From earlier rightuous, rightwose, rightwos, rightwise, from Middle English rightwise, rightwis, from Old English rihtwīs (“righteous, just”), corresponding to right + -wise (with assimilation of second element to -ous), or to right + wise (“way, manner”). Cognate with Scots richtwis (“righteous”), Old High German rehtwīsic (“righteous, just”), Icelandic réttvíss (“righteous, just”). Compare also thefteous, mighteous.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Usage
Inflected Forms
more righteous (comparative)
most righteous (superlative)
rightuous (alternative)
rightwise (alternative)
righteouses (present, singular)
righteousing (participle, present)
righteoused (participle, past)
righteoused (past)