arrogant

adjective ar·ro·gant \ ˈer-ə-gənt , ˈa-rə- \

|Updated on: 7 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: arrogant in a Sentence

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

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arrogantly

adverb

See arrogant defined for English-language learners

See arrogant defined for kids

Examples of arrogant in a Sentence

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
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
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
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
She's first in her class, but she's not arrogant about it.
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

Recent Examples of arrogant from the Web

Only the arrogant ascendance of psychiatry in postwar America—warmly remembered by Neubauer's former research assistant, Natasha Josefowitz—can account for the researchers' duplicity.

— j.r. jones, Chicago Reader, "Triplets ripped from family in a Nazi-like experiment, probed in Three Identical Strangers," 5 July 2018
Some former Bell Pottinger employees say that Henderson’s decision to maintain the Oakbay account can be attributed not just to financial pressure but to his arrogant management style.

— ed caesar, The New Yorker, "The Reputation-Laundering Firm That Ruined Its Own Reputation," 25 May 2018
He is described by those who know him as intelligent, and sometimes arrogant.

— katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Father Faucher's fall from grace: Once a respected priest, now he holds Mass in jail," 4 June 2018
His energy is arrogant and abrasive, and his young children appear both embarrassed and afraid.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "How to Tap Into Your Own Psychic Abilities," 2 July 2018
Also incredibly arrogant, reckless, unafraid, petulant and unscrupulous.

— dylan hernandez, latimes.com, "World Cup offers Argentina's Lionel Messi the stage to be on the same level as countryman Diego Maradona," 13 June 2018
Often your leading scorer is egotistical and arrogant and Mairead is the antithesis of that.

— steve millar, Daily Southtown, "Lemont's Mairead Ruane is the 2018 Daily Southtown Girls Soccer Player of the Year," 13 June 2018
Since joining the show, Radziwill has been called boring and arrogant and operating above the drama, among other expletives and falsehoods.

— refinery29.com, "Carole Radziwill Doesn't Care If She's Your Favorite Real Housewife," 11 June 2018
Rabiot, however, revealed that the ex-Santos wonderkid is anything but arrogant in the PSG dressing room in spite of his world-class ability and sees the attacker as one of the good guys.

— SI.com, "Adrien Rabiot Reveals Why He's Not 'Jealous' of 'Privileged' PSG Teammates Neymar & Mbappe," 10 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arrogant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of arrogant

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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arrogant Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of arrogant

proud, arrogant, haughty, lordly, insolent, overbearing, supercilious, disdainful mean showing scorn for inferiors. proud may suggest an assumed superiority or loftiness.

- too proud to take charity

arrogant implies a claiming for oneself of more consideration or importance than is warranted.

- a conceited and arrogant executive

haughty suggests a consciousness of superior birth or position.

- a haughty aristocrat

lordly implies pomposity or an arrogant display of power.

- a lordly condescension

insolent implies contemptuous haughtiness.

- ignored by an insolent waiter

overbearing suggests a tyrannical manner or an intolerable insolence.

- an overbearing supervisor

supercilious implies a cool, patronizing haughtiness.

- an aloof and supercilious manner

disdainful suggests a more active and openly scornful superciliousness.

- disdainful of their social inferiors

ARROGANT Defined for English Language Learners

arrogant

adjective

Definition of arrogant for English Language Learners

: having or showing the insulting attitude of people who believe that they are better, smarter, or more important than other people : having or showing arrogance