arrogant

ar·ro·gant

adjective \ˈer-ə-gənt, ˈa-rə-\

Definition of ARROGANT

1

: exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one's own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner <an arrogant official>

2

: showing an offensive attitude of superiority : proceeding from or characterized by arrogance <an arrogant reply>

— ar·ro·gant·ly adverb

Examples of ARROGANT

1. She's first in her class, but she's not arrogant about it.
2. <the arrogant young lawyer elbowed his way to the head of the line of customers, declaring that he was too busy to wait like everybody else>
3. Tim Blixseth, the founder of the Yellowstone Club and other gated hideaways, tells Frank: “I don't like most rich people. They can be arrogant.” This from a man who owns two Shih Tzus named Learjet and G2. —Alex Beam, New York Times Book Review, 10 June 2007
4. Arrogant execs are not the only targets of investors' ire. … There's no telling how much money analysts such as Meeker cost investors with their interminable buy recommendations on Internet stocks that eventually went bust. —Marcia Vickers et al., Business Week, 25 Feb. 2002
5. Despite her social and business status in Washington, Graham remained unassuming and down to earth. Her quiet but steady courage affirmed women such as Geneva Overhosler, a former editor and Post ombudsman, by showing a woman could be powerful without being arrogant. —Mark Fitzgerald et al., Editor & Publisher, 23 July 2001
6. Shakespeare must have known that while his audiences loved to see villains punished and arrogant young men humbled, they did not want to fidget and squirm through mea culpas before the final scene. —Elaine Showalter, Civilization, April/May 1999

Origin of ARROGANT

Middle English, from Latin arrogant-, arrogans, present participle of arrogare (see arrogate)

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to ARROGANT

Synonyms

assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, huffish, huffy, imperious, important, lofty, lordly, masterful, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, sniffy, stiff-necked, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity

Antonyms

humble, lowly, modest, unarrogant, unpretentious

Related Words

misproud; authoritarian, bossy, dominant, dominating, domineering, magisterial, pontifical, pontificating; condescending, disdainful, patronizing; impertinent, impudent, saucy; snobbish, snobby, snooty; blusterous, blustery, boastful, bombastic, braggart, bragging, braggy, cocky, swaggering, vain, vainglorious; complacent, conceited, egocentric, egoistic (also egoistical), egotistic (or egotistical), hubristic, narcissistic, orgulous, prideful, proud, self-affected, self-applauding, self-centered, self-complacent, self-conceited, self-pleased, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up; self-flattering, self-loving, self-promoting; brash, forward, uninhibited, unreserved; extroverted (also extraverted), immodest

Near Antonyms

bashful, cowering, cringing, demure, diffident, introverted, mousy (or mousey), overmodest, self-critical, self-doubting, sheepish, shrinking, shy, subdued, timid; acquiescent, compliant, deferential, meek, passive, submissive, unaggressive, unassertive, unassuming, unobtrusive, yielding; quiet, reserved, retiring

See Synonym Discussion at proud