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
My math teachers of old are very smug somewhere.
—
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for smug
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
-
The passage is incoherent, yet, in conflating progressive reform with arrogant blind faith, it is perfectly suited to Vance’s cynical conservatism.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
-
To no one’s surprise, Bonnie is immediately transfixed by her Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee, whose arrogant smarm effectively threads the needle between Maya Hawke’s Anxiety and Regina George’s everything else).—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
As with Los Angeles, there is no tidy way to sum up eating in Melbourne.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2026
-
The imperial capital has many beautiful buildings, and they are always kept tidy and clean.—
Christopher Hooks,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
Adjective
-
Mamdani, proud of his socialist values, had developed a language for communicating a collective, interdependent vision of city life through his consistent emphasis on affordability.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
-
This is also where the film dips into the past and becomes awash in the proud history of Hawaiian surfing, bowing at the legend of the great Duke Kahanamoku and going deep into others and how the sport became such a religion for many, notably devotee Kristen.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
The result is a floral and slightly sweet gin that can be enjoyed neat or used in any traditional or modern cocktail.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
18 June 2026
-
High-quality incense holders will utilize this neat trick and turn your incense into a waterfall of fragrant smoke.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Tristan Peters made a vain dive for the ball, which got past him and allowed both baserunners to score.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
-
Sending him out to sell a vague agreement with Iran is unlikely to win over the hawks who wonder why Tehran is getting off so lightly and whether the war was in vain.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Just snip away dead, damaged, or diseased branches to keep these shrubs looking trim.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
13 June 2026
-
Both looks are in the same color, both have white trim, and even has similar pocket details.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
13 June 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
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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
-
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 25 Jun. 2026.
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