Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Affectedly or smugly good or self-righteous: Describes behavior that is overly, and often insincerely, virtuous, moral, or obedient, typically to gain approval or appear superior.

2. Noun:

   • A person who behaves extremely well in order to please a superior: Refers to an individual, often a child or student, who is excessively obedient, well-behaved, or eager to follow rules, usually to curry favor with an authority figure.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • She was tired of his goody-goody attitude, always acting like he never made a mistake.
  • Don't be so goody-goody; everyone knows you're not perfect.

• Noun:

  • The teacher's pet was considered a goody-goody by the other students.
  • He was labeled a goody-goody because he always volunteered to clean the chalkboard.

Advanced Usage

• "Goody-goody two-shoes": An extended, slightly more emphatic idiom with the same meaning.
  • She's such a goody-goody two-shoes, always reminding the teacher about homework.
• The term is often used pejoratively or mockingly to criticize someone for being sanctimonious or excessively compliant.

Variants and Related Words

• Goody (noun, informal): Can mean something pleasant or tasty (e.g., "party goodies") or, in older/childish use, an exclamation of delight ("Goody!"). This is distinct from the compound "goody-goody."
• Goody-goody is a reduplicative compound. It functions as both an adjective and a noun.

Synonyms

• Prissy (adj): Fussily and excessively proper.
• Sanctimonious (adj): Making a show of being morally superior.
• Teacher's pet (n): A student perceived as favored by the teacher.
• Goody-two-shoes (n): A person who is smugly or obnoxiously virtuous.

Antonyms

• Rebel (n): A person who resists authority or convention.
• Miscreant (n): A person who behaves badly or breaks the law.

Related Idioms

• "Holier-than-thou": Behaving as if one is morally superior to others. This is a close synonym for the adjective sense of "goody-goody."
  • He has a holier-than-thou attitude that annoys everyone.

Adjective

1. affectedly or smugly good or self-righteous

Noun

1. a person who behaves extremely well in order to please a superior