Word: pious (adjective)

Associations

The word "pious" describes someone who is very religious or shows strong respect and devotion to their religion or moral beliefs.

• A pious person often prays regularly and follows religious rules strictly.
• Example 1: "She is a pious woman who goes to church every Sunday." This means she is very devoted to her religion.
• Example 2: "His pious behavior impressed the community." This means his religious actions were noticeable and respected.
• Example 3: "The pious monk spent hours meditating." This shows deep religious dedication. A synonym is "devout," but "pious" sometimes can imply a bit of showiness or being overly religious, while "devout" is more about sincere faith.

Substitution

You can use words like "devout," "religious," or "faithful" instead of "pious."

• "Devout" focuses more on sincere and deep faith.
• "Religious" is more general, meaning connected to religion.
• "Faithful" can mean loyal to religion or a person. Changing the word might make the sentence feel more or less formal or sincere.

Deconstruction

• Root: The word "pious" comes from Latin "pius," meaning dutiful or devout.
• No prefix or suffix here; it is a simple adjective. Knowing its Latin origin helps understand it means showing duty or respect, especially to gods or religion.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a person you know who might be described as pious? Why?
• How would you describe someone who is religious but not pious?
• Can "pious" be used in a negative way? When might that happen?