Definition of ARROGANT

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

Owen McIntosh was suitably brash as Sense, and Kate Maroney was somewhat aloof as an arrogant Ambition.

— james r. oestreich, New York Times, "Review: New York’s Early-Music Scene Is Having a Moment", 2 June 2017
Trump was caught on video, with a smug and arrogant look on his face, pushing Dusko Markovic, leader of Montenegro, to position himself in front for a group photo at the NATO summit.

— jeff darcy, cleveland.com, "GOP image body slammed by Gianforte & Trump: Darcy cartoon", 28 May 2017
In the final hours of the Montana campaign, the idea that Gianforte had done what the media deserved was irresistible — feeding into the idea that an arrogant, unfair elite was trying to bring him down.

— david weigel, Washington Post, "Montana’s familiar story: A wealthy candidate became a warrior against the ‘establishment’", 26 May 2017
But this isn’t the latest hot take about how the Golden State Warriors star is allegedly arrogant.

— sam amick, USA TODAY, "Kevin Durant, alleged NBA villain, ignoring the noise: 'I'm at peace'", 26 May 2017
But to have such clueless, arrogant people blather on and on about their perceptions of Hollywood while defending a party of deplorables and bragging about a friendship with an adulterer and misogynic racist is simply a waste of newsprint.

— latimes.com, "Calendar Letters: An 'absurd' Beatles rethinking, and politicizing entertainment", 24 May 2017
And the people running it are either too arrogant or too oblivious to even be cute about it.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Emoluments Are Part of the Business Plan", 24 May 2017
And this was what Chris thought about Mark: a real arrogant, smart-ass punk.

— michelle slatalla and joshua quittner, WIRED, "Gang War in Cyberspace", 1 Dec. 1994

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

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