Definition of HAUGHTY

Other Words from haughty

haughtily \ˈhȯ-tə-lē,

ˈhä- \ adverb

haughtiness \ˈhȯ-tē-nəs,

ˈhä- \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for haughty

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

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.

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 on the Web

Newsletter Sign-up Fans of whichever team wins this game will assuredly swig their beers with a haughty sense of superiority. — Rachel Bachman, WSJ, "The School That Really Owns Ohio State-Michigan," 22 Nov. 2018 Previously haughty locals have befriended the cheerful police manning the cordons around Queen Elizabeth Gardens and Zizzi's restaurant. — Francesca Ebel, Fox News, "A journalist sees her worlds collide in nerve agent attack," 9 Aug. 2018 The major music critics of the 1970s and 1980s were skeptical about Queen, dismissing the band as bombastic and haughty, antithetical to rock’s earthy working-class roots. — Noel Murray, The Verge, "For the real Bohemian Rhapsody, stream the best recorded Queen concert this weekend," 2 Nov. 2018 Foreigners’ soccer was viewed with haughty indifference by the English soccer establishment. — Leo Robson, The New Yorker, "How We Watch Soccer Now," 5 Dec. 2016 But other Europeans should not be too haughty about Germany’s debate, for their own rows on asylum are barely more rational. — The Economist, "How policy debates in Europe become untethered from reality," 12 July 2018 The notoriously haughty royal went through great pains to smuggle her jewels out of France during the Revolution, and they haven’t been seen in public for more than 200 years. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "WATCH: Pearls Belonging to Marie Antoinette, Unseen for 200 Years, to Be Auctioned off This Fall," 20 June 2018 Or of Goneril, played by Troy as snarky and haughty, with little of the vulnerability and hurt Lear’s eldest daughter feels. — Mike Fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "This 'King Lear' more humdrum than tragic," 6 July 2018 Clarkson, often adorned in deliciously extravagant looks, luxuriates in her lines, imbuing them with haughty privilege and Southern hospitality. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "Review: Amy Adams' 'Sharp Objects' needs to be sharper to make its point," 5 July 2018

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.