arrogance

noun

ar·​ro·​gance ˈer-ə-gən(t)s 

ˈa-rə-

: an offensive attitude of superiority shown especially by excessively confident or rudely dismissive behavior

found her arrogance off-putting

the sheer arrogance of his comments

Synonyms of arrogance

• superiority
• disdain
• attitude
• haughtiness
• imperiousness
• superciliousness
• pretension
• presumptuousness
• pomposity

Examples of arrogance in a Sentence

He was like a movie star at his high school reunion, muting his arrogance and trying to be a regular guy for old times' sake. He seemed to genuinely appreciate the honor. —Carlo Rotella, New York Times Sports Magazine, June 2008

This kind of official arrogance is not new, of course, although it is perhaps more common in dictatorships than in democracies. —Ian Buruma, New York Times Book Review, 17 Sept. 2006

Arrogance is, at once, what an athlete most needs and what fans least want to see. —Dan Le Batard, ESPN, 15 Mar. 2004

A British expat who could have stepped out of a Graham Greene plot, Twyman makes an improbable Jamaican hero. His self-assurance borders on arrogance, particularly when something is not done precisely the way he would do it himself. —Barry Estabrook, Gourmet, July 2003

Her arrogance has earned her a lot of enemies.

We were shocked by the arrogance of his comments.

Recent Examples on the Web

Behaviors associated with autism, such as rigid thinking, unusual eye contact, or difficulty expressing emotion, are often mistaken for arrogance, deceit, manipulation, or a lack of remorse. — Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

Except the brash arrogance that long lived behind the slogan has taken a bit of a hit in recent years. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

Needless to say there was no second date, and, eventually though painfully, my own arrogance had some of its rough edges worn down. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 26 June 2026

In Episode 3, Harris discussed the early arrogance of the founding fathers who made proposals for America's independence and questioned who was entitled to freedom. — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 24 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English arrogaunce, errogaunce, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French arrogance, arrogaunce, borrowed from Latin arrogantia, noun derivative of arrogant-, arrogans "insolent, overbearing, arrogant"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

arrogance

noun

ar·​ro·​gance ˈar-ə-gən(t)s 

: a sense of one's own importance that shows itself in a proud and insulting way