UNRIGHTEOUS Synonyms: 164 Similar and Opposite Words

unrighteous

adjective

ˌən-ˈrī-chəs

Definition of unrighteous

as in unlawful

not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable an unrighteous act that cannot go unpunished by the congregation

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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.

Recent Examples of unrighteous Ivey recently described the LGBTQ community as unrighteous in a live stream from his Instagram account. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 31 Mar. 2026 Ancient sacred writings teach us to avoid using unrighteous means to oppose the unrighteous demands of wicked rulers. — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026 Spears writes of these unrighteous men matter-of-factly, avoiding the ad hominem attack, except for an occasional delicious arrow, including a recollection of the eternally white Timberlake meeting one of his rap heroes. — Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 24 Oct. 2023 Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous. — Olivia Muenter, Woman's Day, 8 Feb. 2023 Many people, after all, think that the righteous should prosper and the unrighteous not. — Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 27 July 2021 He’s gone through buzzard-hot streaks and some slumps, at times taking wholly unrighteous shots, and none of that matters to the shooting guard. — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Apr. 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrighteous

Adjective

Legal experts say such a move would probably be swiftly blocked by courts, as would any unlawful deployment of military troops to polls.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
The suit alleges that Paramount’s unlawful termination has caused him some $4 million in economic damages.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of unlawful

Adjective

Presumably everybody wants the evidence to hold people who commit serious crimes accountable, but nobody wants to turn into the evil empire in the process.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Her parents refuse to see that there is something unnatural about their new baby boy and that an evil other presence haunts their stately home.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of evil

Adjective

My prescribed low-carb, caffeine-free diet sounded horrifying on paper, but my sinful pleasures were replaced with a tasty, high-quality, and healthy alternative that left me more energized.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
Critics also have challenged the report’s characterization of cases involving women, contending these were consensual affairs that were sinful but not abusive.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 June 2026

Definition of sinful

Adjective

Kiss off the haters with a pretty wicked portrait from our Free Photobooth.

— Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Along with other large parts of Northwest Indiana, East Chicago was hit with power outages following a wicked storm that blasted through the area a week ago Tuesday.

— Lauren Victory, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of wicked

Adjective

Detectives charged him with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon for the vicious attack that killed his mother, 57-year-old Josefa Soto de Guzman, on Friday.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026
Pace, skill, a vicious shot, the ability to make opposition defenders look like fools.

— James Horncastle, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

Poor Anton has been left out of the drama all day, an effort by Billie and Samir to prevent an already bad futzing from escalating to something severe, and that’s never where Anton likes to be.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Although rarely seen, its reemergence earlier this summer is a signal of how bad the region’s ongoing drought has gotten, as well as a warning for the difficult months ahead.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of bad

Browse Nearby Words

unriddling

unrighteous

unrighteousness

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“Unrighteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrighteous. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unrighteous

adjective

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