1
as in arrogant
having too high an opinion of oneself
a winner who was so smug that he lost the goodwill of the crowd
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tidy
being clean and in good order
the suburb's smug lawns and tree-lined streets bespeak a comfortable affluence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smug
Woods kept everyone guessing — a favorite hobby of his — with one word and a smug grin last week at Riviera when he was asked if playing in the Masters was off the table.
—
ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Dealing with prying relatives or well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) smug married friends?
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
But there’s a throughline in Smith’s most popular works — he’s been cast repeatedly as a villain, and usually an arrogant or smug one.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
But that poem is no smug cliché.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smug
ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Dealing with prying relatives or well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) smug married friends?
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
But there’s a throughline in Smith’s most popular works — he’s been cast repeatedly as a villain, and usually an arrogant or smug one.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
But that poem is no smug cliché.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
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The rabbi is ornery, arrogant, sometimes cruel.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That’s not an opinion shared by MVP Arena in Albany, though, which expects to turn a tidy profit this weekend.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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The Firkus house was clean and tidy, and the entryway table beside the front door was undisturbed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One of his proudest accomplishments was creating the FWISD Scholar Athlete Award program.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
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On the question of T-pop’s rising global profile, Satur is proud but measured.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The brain bug's intrinsic ick factor is undeniably high, but using their proboscises to suck thoughts directly from the brains of their unfortunate victims is a pretty neat party trick.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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Trim them to clean, neat geometric shapes to contrast with the biomorphic shapes of hydrangeas.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This was in vain, as after falling on a safety squeeze, Miner hit a line drive down the left line to add an insurance run and go up 4-1.—
Tony Gleason,
Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Baritone Aleksey Bogdanov is a scene-stealing delight as the vain bullfighter Escamillo.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Avoid Burying Praise in Negatives To avoid making children too conceited, parents might bury praise in the midst of negatives.—
Wayne Parker,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
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The Pitt definitely feels like the type of workplace where conceited doctors-in-training are pretty much guaranteed to quickly get knocked down a peg.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Jenner, who shares daughter Stormi, 8, and son Aire, 4, with ex Travis Scott, showcased a neon chartreuse string bikini with lace trim.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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Moreover, the trim little contraption cut a wholesome figure reminiscent of a Richard Scarry book—as if a courtesy tram birthed a tiny Zamboni.—
Henry Alford,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Only this time the interns are boring Gen Z stereotypes (obsessed with TikTok, too sensitive, too emotional, too self-important).—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
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This isn’t just one self-important critic’s opinion — Berry herself has talked about it.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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