Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Keep "priest-ridden" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "priest-ridden" intact in the sentence you are editing.
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
After choosing a replacement for "priest-ridden", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "priest-ridden" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
4 total sentences available.
Cologne […] is much decayed within these Hundred Years, having been much Priest-ridden; a Misfortune that hath undone many other great Cities. The Jesuits have had so great Influence upon the Magistrates, that they prevailed with them to banish all Protestants […]
Source: wiktionary
1726, William Rufus Chetwood, The Voyages and Adventures of Captain Robert Boyle, London: J. Watts, 3rd edition, 1735, p. 150, The Father finding the Man had too much Understanding to be Priest-ridden, thought it his best way to hold his Tongue.
Source: wiktionary
[…] Padre Vicentio incautiously drove his heavy spurs into the flanks of his mule as that puzzled animal was hesitating on the brink of a steep declivity. Whether the poor beast was indignant at this novel outrage, or had been for some time reflecting on the evils of being priest-ridden, has not transpired; enough that he suddenly threw up his heels, pitching the reverend man over his head, and, having accomplished this feat, coolly dropped on his knees and tumbled after his rider.
Source: wiktionary
We are an unfortunately priestridden race and always were and always will be till the end of the chapter.
Source: wiktionary
Closest matches include canonical, churchly, clerical, ecclesiastical, episcopal.
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.