Definition of haughty
haughtier
;haughtiest
: blatantly and disdainfully proud : having or showing an attitude of superiority and contempt for people or things perceived to be inferior haughty aristocrats haughty young beauty … never deigned to notice us — Herman Melville
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Examples of haughty in a Sentence
He rejected their offer with a tone of haughty disdain.
the haughty waiter smirked when I remarked that it was odd that a French restaurant didn't even have french fries on the menu
Recent Examples of haughty from the Web
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The character is well-dressed, grips a small stick behind his back and his right hand on a hip; his chin is tipped up and chest thrust out, a display of haughty authority.
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Christopher Bentivegna plays the Velociraptor of Faith with a haughty dignity and zeal, urging his followers to never stray too far from the Lab, seen as the source of their creation.
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Track and field and cycling, also ensnared in the scandal but more hardened by past entanglements, have been less haughty, a caution borne out by subsequent incidents.
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B8 managing director Kerry Gudjohnsen is a haughty Goneril, the eldest of Lear’s cruelly callous daughters, and Bonnie Marion makes an amusingly contemptuous, eye-rolling middle sister Regan.
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Her demeanor now oscillates between a haughty air of entitlement and visible apprehension.
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These ghosts are sexy, rude, naughty, haughty and shocking.
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Two men pursue the Black Pearl, hoping to rescue this beauteous damsel: Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), a blacksmith and childhood friend secretly in love with her, and haughty Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport), who fancies himself her fiance.
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Mezzo-soprano Milena Kitic conjured a few mesmerizing moments as Amneris, Aida’s haughty and high-born master.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'haughty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Connotations of haughty
Someone who is haughty looks down on others—and that position high above everyone else is present in the word's etymology. Haughty traces back to the Anglo-French halt or haut, which means literally "high."
The word has strong negative connotations. Someone who is described as "haughty" is proud in the worst way. This is not the pride a parent feels for a child who's worked hard at something, and it's not the pride a marathoner feels for completing a race. The word haughty communicates a kind of pride that is obviously full of contempt for others deemed inferior or unworthy.
The word is not applied only to people. Haughty often modifies nouns like glare, look, appearance, and attitude.
Origin and Etymology of haughty
obsolete haught, from Middle English haute, from Anglo-French halt, haut, literally, high, from Latin altus — more at old
Synonym Discussion of haughty
HAUGHTY Defined for English Language Learners
haughty
playDefinition of haughty for English Language Learners
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: having or showing the insulting attitude of people who think that they are better, smarter, or more important than other people
HAUGHTY Defined for Kids
haughty
playDefinition of haughty for Students
haughtier
;haughtiest
: having or showing a proud and superior attitude a haughty princess
haughtily
\ˈhȯ-tə-lē\ adverbhaughtiness
\ˈhȯ-tē-nəs\ nounLearn More about haughty
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See words that rhyme with haughty Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for haughty Spanish Central: Translation of haughty Nglish: Translation of haughty for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of haughty for Arabic speakers
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