smugger; smuggest
1
: highly self-satisfied
2
: trim or smart in dress : spruce
3
: scrupulously clean, neat, or correct : tidy
smugly
adverb
smugness
noun
smug·ness
plural -es
: the quality or state of being smug
the little smile of self-satisfaction that gave his face an aspect of smugness—
Strand Magazine
Strand MagazineExamples of smug in a Sentence
Adjective
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
Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
But the series’ central character, played by Rachel Weisz, has enough nervous, itchy, manic energy to make the show’s narrative structure feel purposely unstable rather than safely smug.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 4 May 2026
McDaniels, who cut through the Nuggets’ egos early in the series with fearless words and a smug grin, got the last laugh.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
The test case—picturing a cow doing ballet—produces a smug bovine pirouetting.
—Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smug
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Adjective
Most smug articles and books that claim to provide quick fixes come off as tone-deaf or even counterproductive.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
But the series’ central character, played by Rachel Weisz, has enough nervous, itchy, manic energy to make the show’s narrative structure feel purposely unstable rather than safely smug.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 4 May 2026
McDaniels, who cut through the Nuggets’ egos early in the series with fearless words and a smug grin, got the last laugh.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
The test case—picturing a cow doing ballet—produces a smug bovine pirouetting.
—Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smug
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smug. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smug
adjective
smugger; smuggest
: highly satisfied with oneself : complacent
smugly
adverb
smugness
noun
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