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
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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
There’s the divorced couple maintaining their relationship for their children; the happy and occasionally smug monogamist; the man who prefers not to commit; the woman who can’t decide.
—
Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 15 May 2025
To his critics, Jost’s smug humor felt noticeably anachronistic at a time when the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements were calling for a greater awareness of society’s deep inequalities, and for ostensibly liberal institutions to do better.
—Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 17 May 2025
The series has been characterized by smug antics in defeat.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
Everyone’s relationship has, yes, seasons, and each couple weathers a few different ones during the show, with smug closeness eroding into terse bitterness, doting affection into resentful frustration.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 15 May 2025
To his critics, Jost’s smug humor felt noticeably anachronistic at a time when the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements were calling for a greater awareness of society’s deep inequalities, and for ostensibly liberal institutions to do better.
—Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 17 May 2025
The series has been characterized by smug antics in defeat.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
Everyone’s relationship has, yes, seasons, and each couple weathers a few different ones during the show, with smug closeness eroding into terse bitterness, doting affection into resentful frustration.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
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There is something dangerously, provocatively arrogant about his glorified gang leader looks.—
Timothy Crouse,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2025
-
The exiled poet was criticized for his arrogant attempts to influence British and American foreign policy.—
Graham Robb,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Below, shop 12 space-saving storage solutions that keep pots and pans, water bottles, snacks, and more tidy, including deals up to 61 percent off.—
Rachel Trujillo,
People.com,
4 June 2025
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Keep tidy Dressing sharply doesn’t have to be expensive, says Post Senning, as long as your attire fits your office environment and your body.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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Their many successes and proud history are well known, so there are plenty of arguments to support Madrid in this competition… and also to want anyone but them to win it.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
-
For a bit of old soul Florida, head to Everglades City, a proud frontier town in subtropical swamp wilderness.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Front Runner has a deep, long-running catalog of overland products, but possibly its most visible and ubiquitous is its lineup of square Wolf Pack Pro boxes that stack and secure together to make dry storage as neat, secure and space-efficient as possible.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 June 2025
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Beating the best that Europe had to offer in the Champions League was a neat riposte.—
Phil Hay
June 2,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
The men were very egotistical in this film and no one really showed up.—
Jeff Conway,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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In the upcoming film, Oscar Isaac stars as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature (Jacob Elordi) to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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While exterior touches are scarce, the grille, lighting, headlight trim, and exterior handles all nicely complement the sleek body without impeding it.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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Back in March, the electric car brand and NHTSA recalled over 46,000 Cybertrucks due to a reported risk of a trim panel detaching.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Yet rather than call a tow truck, the Steelers are revving the engine in the hopes their tires don’t spin in vain but find a little grip amid all that mud.—
Will Graves,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 June 2025
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Arena, like the adjacent club called Circus, was established by a couple of gay and Latino entrepreneurs as open-to-everyone party spaces — a radical departure during an era when discos were defined more by the vulgar discrimination of velvet ropes and vain bouncers policing entry.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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This is the worst kind of football team: a conceited but objectively mediocre squad.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
The Mercury News,
17 Nov. 2024
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Rory Kinnear steals some of the best lines as the conceited British prime minister, and Ato Essandoh, as Kate’s deputy chief, plays the ever-flustered man surrounded by extremely capable women with admirable humor, charm, and confidence.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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