smugger; smuggest
1
: highly self-satisfied
2
: trim or smart in dress : spruce
3
: scrupulously clean, neat, or correct : tidy
smugly
adverb
smugness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of smug in a Sentence
Meanwhile, supporters are smug and righteous that the person who manages the world's leading stock exchange deserves every million.
—
Susan Lee, Wall Street Journal, 10 Sept. 2003
Alice Norcross Pratt, a local stay-at-home mom, is portrayed as smug and pious, yet we also see glimmers of her hidden longings.
—Elizabeth Graver, New York Times Book Review, 27 May 2001
Once, Roy dared shooters to beat him with a shot between his legs. Now, he no longer passes out such smug invitations. The goalie who transformed the butterfly technique into an art form has humbly decided to keep his skates a little closer together …
—Mark Kiszla, ESPN, 28 May 2001
She was tall and beautiful and multilingual and fiercely opinionated. One of her opinions held that the rags that passed for literary magazines on campus were so smug and tame and insular that it was hopeless to even try to reform them; they simply needed to be replaced.
—Tom Perrotta, Joe College, 2000
It's OK to celebrate your success, but try not to be too smug about it.
You can wipe that smug look off your face.
Susan Lee, Wall Street Journal, 10 Sept. 2003
Alice Norcross Pratt, a local stay-at-home mom, is portrayed as smug and pious, yet we also see glimmers of her hidden longings.
—Elizabeth Graver, New York Times Book Review, 27 May 2001
Once, Roy dared shooters to beat him with a shot between his legs. Now, he no longer passes out such smug invitations. The goalie who transformed the butterfly technique into an art form has humbly decided to keep his skates a little closer together …
—Mark Kiszla, ESPN, 28 May 2001
She was tall and beautiful and multilingual and fiercely opinionated. One of her opinions held that the rags that passed for literary magazines on campus were so smug and tame and insular that it was hopeless to even try to reform them; they simply needed to be replaced.
—Tom Perrotta, Joe College, 2000
It's OK to celebrate your success, but try not to be too smug about it.
You can wipe that smug look off your face.
Recent Examples on the Web
The smug conventional wisdom has it that voters don’t care much about abstractions like democracy or the rule of law.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
Tonight was like having Thanksgiving with your most nervous uncle and your smuggest nephew.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 2 Oct. 2024
Soon, social media was flooded by a wave of smug posts on the marchers’ supposedly superior protesting chops.
—Samantha Eyler, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2017
Will the next Pope be the traditionalist Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), the progressive Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), the smug Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), or the reluctant Lawrence himself who is keen on resigning his post when all this is done?
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smug 
Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
Tonight was like having Thanksgiving with your most nervous uncle and your smuggest nephew.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 2 Oct. 2024
Soon, social media was flooded by a wave of smug posts on the marchers’ supposedly superior protesting chops.
—Samantha Eyler, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2017
Will the next Pope be the traditionalist Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), the progressive Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), the smug Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), or the reluctant Lawrence himself who is keen on resigning his post when all this is done?
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smug
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near smug
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smug. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smug
adjective
smugger; smuggest
: highly satisfied with oneself : complacent
smugly
adverb
smugness
noun
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