Preachiest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Exhibiting the strongest inclination toward delivering moralistic sermons or lessons
2. Demonstrating the utmost propensity to express moral viewpoints in a sermon-like manner
3. Showing the highest degree of tendency to give moral advice or religious talks

Etymology: "Preachiest" is the superlative of "preachy," which is itself "preach" with the suffix "-y" added. The suffix descends from an Old English ending, "-ig," which meant "full of" or "having the quality of," so "preachy" literally describes something full of preaching. Its ancestry runs back through Proto-Germanic and into Proto-Indo-European, though the suffix's job was always the same: turning a noun or verb into a description of a quality. The superlative follows the usual pattern for two-syllable adjectives ending in -y: the final "y" becomes "i" and "-est" is added. So "preachy" becomes "preachier" in the comparative and "preachiest" in the superlative, meaning the most inclined to lecture or moralize.

Synonyms: sanctimonious, pious, moralizing

Antonyms: unpreachy, indifferent, apathetic