haughty

adjective

haugh·ty | \ ˈhȯ-tē,

ˈhä-\

haughtier; haughtiest

Definition of haughty

: 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

Other Words from haughty Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym The Connotations of Haughty More Example Sentences Learn More about haughty

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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

Two charming angels, poised as if ready to dance, are lifting the folds of a tent to reveal the standing Virgin, a country girl with an impassive, even haughty air, her golden hair braided tightly and wrapped atop her head. — Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, "On the Brink of the Savior’s Arrival," 12 Oct. 2018 Pride Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Judgement and Epiphany on Pittsburgh’s Number 79 Bus," 11 May 2018 Dexter Bullard directs, with Heather Chrisler in the title role and Jalen Gilbert as John, the farm laborer who digs into the weak points behind her haughty demeanor. — Kerry Reid, chicagotribune.com, "Summer theater 2018: Our top 25 shows to see," 23 May 2018 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

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.