1
as in arrogant
having too high an opinion of oneself
a winner who was so smug that he lost the goodwill of the crowd
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tidy
being clean and in good order
the suburb's smug lawns and tree-lined streets bespeak a comfortable affluence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smug
China has even more reason to be smug.
—
Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Bateman’s Clark is comfortably semi-famous, semi-smug and also, maybe, a decent guy.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Over Your Dead Body is not for the faint of heart, but give or take a rape threat that crosses the line into smug sadism without quite seeming to realize it, the violence lands as more comically cartoonish than horrific.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
When other models stumble, Gemini is smug.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smug
Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Bateman’s Clark is comfortably semi-famous, semi-smug and also, maybe, a decent guy.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Over Your Dead Body is not for the faint of heart, but give or take a rape threat that crosses the line into smug sadism without quite seeming to realize it, the violence lands as more comically cartoonish than horrific.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
When other models stumble, Gemini is smug.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
-
The tricky part of being a celebrity like Firstman on the internet is that some people can conflate your comedic persona (which is maybe a little arrogant, a little colorful) with your real identity.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
Hunter is stubborn, arrogant and gifted enough to play for the Briar hockey team, yet refuses to for reasons the show has yet to reveal.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Each episode began with the death of someone whose corpse would be processed for a tidy profit by Fisher & Sons.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Steering is precise, body control is tidy and the suspension strikes an impressive balance between firmness and comfort.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Subsequent photos showed the proud parents smiling in the audience as their daughter walked across the stage to collect her degree, Zahra alongside her friends in their graduation regalia and a glimpse at a family celebration.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
Paul McCartney is proud of the impact his music has on people.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
The new limited series was adapted by Zoe Kazan, in a neat bit of meta packaging.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
For such a long and winding season, the last game was also a surprisingly neat bow.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The brand requested Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts to stop using the name, which appears to have been in vain.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
18 May 2026
-
Jim must learn to accept a skinny femme like Lucien, while Lucien learns the valuable lesson that Instagram hotness is sometimes attached to a vain, rotten personality.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Avoid Burying Praise in Negatives To avoid making children too conceited, parents might bury praise in the midst of negatives.—
Wayne Parker,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The Pitt definitely feels like the type of workplace where conceited doctors-in-training are pretty much guaranteed to quickly get knocked down a peg.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
New top-trim exterior bling includes 20-inch wheels, a two-tone roof and splash guards.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
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Flour tortillas have been having a moment here for a while, and now the trim, tortilla-forward northern-Mexican burrito has stepped into the spotlight.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
Self-righteous and self-important, priggish and nagging.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
Only this time the interns are boring Gen Z stereotypes (obsessed with TikTok, too sensitive, too emotional, too self-important).—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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