Definition of arrogantnext
as in cocky
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude the arrogant young lawyer elbowed his way to the head of the line of customers, declaring that he was too busy to wait like everybody else

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective arrogant differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of arrogant are disdainful, haughty, insolent, lordly, overbearing, proud, and supercilious. While all these words mean "showing scorn for inferiors," arrogant implies a claiming for oneself of more consideration or importance than is warranted.

a conceited and arrogant executive

When is disdainful a more appropriate choice than arrogant?

The synonyms disdainful and arrogant are sometimes interchangeable, but disdainful suggests a more active and openly scornful superciliousness.

disdainful of their social inferiors

When would haughty be a good substitute for arrogant?

The words haughty and arrogant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, haughty suggests a consciousness of superior birth or position.

a haughty aristocrat

When might insolent be a better fit than arrogant?

The words insolent and arrogant can be used in similar contexts, but insolent implies contemptuous haughtiness.

ignored by an insolent waiter

When could lordly be used to replace arrogant?

The meanings of lordly and arrogant largely overlap; however, lordly implies pomposity or an arrogant display of power.

a lordly condescension

Where would overbearing be a reasonable alternative to arrogant?

While the synonyms overbearing and arrogant are close in meaning, overbearing suggests a tyrannical manner or an intolerable insolence.

an overbearing supervisor

When can proud be used instead of arrogant?

In some situations, the words proud and arrogant are roughly equivalent. However, proud may suggest an assumed superiority or loftiness.

too proud to take charity

When is it sensible to use supercilious instead of arrogant?

While in some cases nearly identical to arrogant, supercilious implies a cool, patronizing haughtiness.

an aloof and supercilious manner

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of arrogant Hunter is stubborn, arrogant and gifted enough to play for the Briar hockey team, yet refuses to for reasons the show has yet to reveal. Kennedy French, Variety, 13 May 2026 Not even the pork choppers were as arrogant and scornful of voting rights as the current mob. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026 When Perry’s parents divorced, her mother, too arrogant to sustain a conventional job, resorted to other ways to keep the family afloat. Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026 His style is relaxed and confident, not arrogant. Tara Klein, SPIN, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arrogant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arrogant
Adjective
  • In the show, shy Briar U music major Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and cocky team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) begin fake-dating to try to catch the attention of Hannah’s crush.
    Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 28 May 2026
  • Because a young, cocky Assistant District Attorney, Thad Longfellow (Ward Horton) wants to oust her as the District Attorney — and is willing to throw mud in order to do it.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026
Adjective
  • Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • The usually pompous Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9th had to be pared down for fear of Ukrainian drones.
    Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
Adjective
  • Surprise of the season That City got close to a domestic treble, which has only ever been achieved by their 2019 vintage, which was a considerably superior team to this one.
    Sam Lee, New York Times, 29 May 2026
  • Sean loved its gorgeous 8-inch 120Hz screen and noted that its ergonomics are superior to most gaming handhelds, including the Steam Deck.
    Cameron Faulkner, The Verge, 29 May 2026
Adjective
  • China is North Korea’s top economic lifeline, accounting for the vast majority of the country’s foreign trade, and has long ranked as Pyongyang’s most important diplomatic partner.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 5 June 2026
  • This year, owing to a mixup in the congressional budget, one of the government’s most important scholarships was left severely underfunded, depriving thousands of Peru’s neediest high-school graduates of the opportunity to continue their studies at local universities.
    Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Adjective
  • Raring to go, all the top military brass, including the agitated Eisenhower and his supercilious British counterpart General Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis), act as though the rational, needfully single-minded man of science has personally betrayed the mission.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 May 2026
  • Her supercilious caricature of a boss, Suzie (Tara Summers), serves merely as a source of pressure.
    Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Adjective
  • These justices have shown no particular alarm or regret over the sweeping attack on Black voting power that has followed their erosion of the VRA, displaying instead a haughty indignation that anyone would criticize their decisions or rationale.
    Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
  • Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi star as childhood pals turned hot and bothered frenemies having quite the torrid love affair as adults in a sumptuous and quite haughty bad romance.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 May 2026
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
Adjective
  • And it’s been a very bumptious relationship ever since.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
  • In public, Newsom speaks often and openly about his errors, fortifying his image as a bumptious, slightly hapless victim of his own enthusiasms.
    Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Arrogant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arrogant. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.

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