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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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

The complaint seeks a declaration that DeWine’s executive order is unlawful.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Paporakis faces one felony count of making a terrorist threat and one felony count of unlawful possession of a weapon.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of unlawful

Adjective

Central to the exhibition is the tension between the honorable and the immoral, the appealing and the revolting.

— News Desk, Artforum, 12 Oct. 2026
Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial premiered at New York Film Festival last night and left many people wondering, Just how funny can a movie about both the terrible capacity of generative AI and the immoral people in charge of it be?

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of immoral

Adjective

Declonius Peck, its beloved editor-in-chief, has gone to prison for embezzlement, and his evil twin, Salton, has assumed management of the family business, along with the 39 editors who curate the periodical.

— Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
The film focuses on Merry, the first witch born on Christmas Day, who must defeat a coven of evil witches that has kidnapped Santa Claus in a bid to destroy Christmas.

— Corbin Bolies, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of evil

Adjective

Judaism teaches that human beings are not inherently sinful, destructive or a detriment to the world.

— Meir Moscowitz, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of sinful

Adjective

To avenge an injustice and restore honor, a good yakuza, like Ken-san, would set off alone for a suicidal last stand against his wicked rivals.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
That unholy resurrection gives William some wicked supernatural powers to go along with his slick swordplay.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of wicked

Adjective

So too, the possibility of Rollerball-style carnage carnivals where robots compete in vicious cage matches until only one android is still moving.

— Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Cash reserves totaling $ 7,450,869 are being used to eviscerate his opponent with a vicious barrage of ad hominem assaults, thus giving him a 61 to 1 spending edge.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

Prosecutors reveal Ha used anonymous social media accounts to send dozens of vile antisemitic threats, leaking the victim’s home address and forcing their family to flee.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
New additions include singer Tank, who plays vile music exec Eric Cropper and Jax’s main client, Beauty in Black star Taylor Polidore Williams as Eric’s wife Brooke, La La Anthony as Eric’s first wife Melina, and then Megan Good as Regina Harris.

— Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of vile

Adjective

Bajaria may also have hit thin ice with Sarandos after the streamer won just 16 Primetime Emmy Awards this year — its worst showing since 2016 and down from 30 in 2025.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
The size of the boat, the distance from the tow boat's berth and how bad the boat is stuck will all factor into the final invoice.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of bad

Browse Nearby Words

unriddling

unrighteous

unrighteousness

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unrighteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrighteous. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unrighteous

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes