as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
a bumptious young man whose family wealth gave him a sense of entitlement
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Recent Examples of bumptious
This splendid, wry satire is about a wealthy family, self-important and confident in their morality, whose blithe and bumptious existences are thrown into disarray when their father clandestinely decides to give all their money to charity, and so (in their opinions) completely destroys their lives.
—
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
As Peggy Dodd, consigliere to her bumptious 1950s cult-leader husband, Adams tends to wear a soft smile and blouses buttoned to the neck — a picture-perfect model of mid-century femininity.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
It’s all spanked along by one of those golly-gee bumptious holiday musical scores.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024
The ländler dance in the second was robust and bumptious, with an undercurrent of darkness, and there was just the right amount of winking in the trio; the whole thing was a country fair picaresque.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bumptious
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
As Peggy Dodd, consigliere to her bumptious 1950s cult-leader husband, Adams tends to wear a soft smile and blouses buttoned to the neck — a picture-perfect model of mid-century femininity.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
It’s all spanked along by one of those golly-gee bumptious holiday musical scores.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024
The ländler dance in the second was robust and bumptious, with an undercurrent of darkness, and there was just the right amount of winking in the trio; the whole thing was a country fair picaresque.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bumptious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumptious
arrogant
Adjective
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As the sun and Jupiter clash, you’re cosmically protected, but arrogant behavior won’t get a pass.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
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For Iran, what counts is resistance, against arrogant and wicked oppressors, chiefly the United States and Israel.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bumptious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumptious. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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