God-fearing

adjective

Definition of God-fearingnext
as in devout

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for God-fearing
  1. devout
  2. godly
  3. prayerful
  4. religious
  5. saintly
  6. worshipful
  7. sainted
  8. pious
Adjective
  • The backstory Personas in the hotel’s backstory include a Thai rockstar-slash-antiques collector, a devout Buddhist business tycoon, and a superstar designer.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Some of the plot points had changed—the pilgrim’s less-devout husband, for example, was a more robust character.
    — Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of devout
Adjective
  • This, the perfectly decent people of Kettleborough reasoned, was a natural and godly rebuke for Susan and Cuthbert’s sin.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • But the instances of godly intervention that run rampant in Homer’s poem are deliberately vague in Nolan’s telling, if not excised entirely.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of godly
Adjective
  • His prayerful recognition of God’s supremacy and government of the universe refreshed his heart and lifted his thought above the human fears and limitations that plague an illusory, material sense of existence.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Tigua dancers of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo performed a prayerful ceremony traditional before a hunt.
    — Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2026
Definition of prayerful
Adjective
  • Jones forced his religious and political views onto Levy throughout their relationship, according to prosecutors.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
  • One of the newly unemployed is Olivia Siffre (Rachel Keller), a fledgling lawyer who recently moved to California to get away from her hovering, hyper-religious parents.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of religious
Adjective
  • Giving her character some heft beyond the saintly was a backstory in which Edie’s brother had recently met with a violent death on the very docks that Brando’s Terry Malloy is forever scrambling for advantage.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Hinton, known as the godfather of AI, is portrayed as a saintly figure who espouses a model of growth based on truth, patience, and moderation, much to the frustration of his pupil.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of saintly
Adjective
  • After a while, though, all the professions of sincerity and thanks, the constant invocations of the one true POTUS, and the worshipful exhibits upstairs give the whole place a cultish, nostalgic gleam.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 June 2026
  • The secret in the biscuits is the pairing of cheddar with bacon, with the overall result being worshipful thanks from those who are lucky enough to partake.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 May 2026
Definition of worshipful
Adjective
  • The sainted Tom Brady had a busload of go-to receivers over the years.
    — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 2 June 2026
  • The movement had adherents among the student body and on the faculty at the Catholic University in Chiclayo, which has about ten thousand students, and the cathedral boasted an enormous portrait of Josemaria Escrivá, Opus Dei’s sainted founder.
    — Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Definition of sainted
Adjective
  • But the overall picture of religious infighting in 1640s Britain is essential to understanding how some people, especially poorer folk and especially women, found themselves on the wrong side of powerful, pious opponents.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Romania is one of the most pious countries in the European Union, with around 85% of the population identifying as religious.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pious
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

godfathers
God-fearing
godforsaken
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“God-fearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/God-fearing. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nexus

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All