as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
a cavalier and pompous boss, indifferent to the feelings of her subordinates
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in gentleman
an honorable and courteous man
a novel about the dashing cavaliers and gracious ladies of the South before the Civil War
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cavalier
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
The Penguins were horribly cavalier with the puck most of the game, and especially in the first period.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2024
The change aims to clamp down on many crypto investors’ cavalier—and sometimes criminal—tax avoidance.
—Laura Saunders, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cavalier
Adjective
The result feels like a cavalier stunt—an audio-documentary shrine erected on a wobbly visual-narrative foundation.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
The Penguins were horribly cavalier with the puck most of the game, and especially in the first period.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
Opal is described as a 5-pound red/brown cavapoo — a mix of a King Charles cavalier and a poodle.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2024
The change aims to clamp down on many crypto investors’ cavalier—and sometimes criminal—tax avoidance.
—Laura Saunders, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cavalier
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cavalier
Adjective
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He is paired with an arrogant young partner (Lou), a second-generation political scion whose personality clashes sharply with his own.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
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In the early years of his fame as a writer, Rushdie had something of a reputation for being prickly and arrogant, but Gibney’s portrait reveals a man mellowed by time and experience.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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To be fair, the gentleman in the middle seat next to me did his best to not impinge on his neighbors, and the flight was fine.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The gentleman on the seat in front of me on that plane was smoking (yes, kids, cigarettes were once permissible on airplanes) not one, but two, cigarettes that were nestled twixt three fingers on his left hand.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cavalier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cavalier. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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