goody-goody

[ good-ee-good-ee ]
See synonyms for: goody-goodygoody-goodies on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural good·y-good·ies.
  1. a person who is self-righteously, affectedly, or cloyingly good.

adjective
  1. self-righteously or cloyingly good; affecting goodness.

Origin of goody-goody

1
First recorded in 1870–75; reduplication of goody2

Words Nearby goody-goody

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use goody-goody in a sentence

  • Mustn't be too goody-goody; that kind of thing is falling out of date.

    New Grub Street | George Gissing
  • A little fellow called Jamie took me aside, and in the most friendly way advised me not to be so "goody-goody."

    Tramping with Tramps | Josiah Flynt

British Dictionary definitions for goody-goody

goody-goody

nounplural -goodies
  1. a smugly virtuous or sanctimonious person

adjective
  1. smug and sanctimonious

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012