Word
righteous
Phoneticsright·eous, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɹaɪtʃəs/
UK/ɹˈaɪtʃəs/
Definitions
01morally good
B2 · Upper Intermediate Religion
adj. behaving in a way that is morally right and good.
adj. acting in accord with divine or moral law; free from guilt or sin.
“He lived a righteous life and was always helping people in his community.”
“The community regarded him as a righteous man, noting his unwavering commitment to ethical business practices and charitable works.”
02justified or fair
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. feeling that an action or emotion is fair and correct.
adj. arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality; morally justifiable.
“She felt a sense of righteous anger when she saw the unfair treatment of the workers.”
“The protesters were fueled by righteous indignation, believing that the new legislation was a direct assault on their fundamental civil liberties.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03excellent
C1 · Advanced American English · Slang
adj. very good or impressive.
adj. excellent, impressive, or genuine in quality.
“That was a righteous meal; I have never tasted better pizza.”
“The surfer caught a righteous wave that carried him all the way to the shore, much to the delight of the onlookers.”
Usage
Commonly used in 1960s and 70s counter-culture, though it persists in specific subcultures like surfing.
Teaching tip
This slang sense is quite dated and specific to American English; learners should use it only in very informal, retro contexts.
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Kennedy’s two documentaries gather their participants’ righteous rage steadily enough to burn off the cloud cover of this corporate obfuscation, leaving a clear view of the horizon ahead.” “Impolite, zealous, angry, and righteous voices like those of Astell and Macaulay were threatening precisely because they disrupted concord.” 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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