as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
she looked at him with the hauteur of someone who is accustomed to being instantly obeyed
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Recent Examples of hauteur
Charles de Gaulle ruled with hauteur and impatience, often alienating allies while imposing coherence on a fractured state.
—
Philip Martin, Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2026
Her tall hauteur was piquant in combination with her soft Derbyshire accent.
—Tessa Hadley, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026
Rosamund Pike, playing the spirit of loving filthy lucre over life itself, elevates a standard villain through the high timing of her theatrical hauteur.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025
There was some explanation for his elusiveness, quite apart from the everyday hauteur of the fashion industry.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hauteur
Philip Martin, Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2026
Her tall hauteur was piquant in combination with her soft Derbyshire accent.
—Tessa Hadley, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026
Rosamund Pike, playing the spirit of loving filthy lucre over life itself, elevates a standard villain through the high timing of her theatrical hauteur.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025
There was some explanation for his elusiveness, quite apart from the everyday hauteur of the fashion industry.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hauteur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hauteur
Noun
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Too few compliments make kids feel slighted, while too many can inspire arrogance.—
Wayne Parker,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
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Adam McKay’s toxically smug dissection of Dick Cheney fails to take the full measure of this monstrous vice-president, but even so, Bale taps into something elemental about the man’s arrogance and domineering personality.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But there is little doubt, officials and experts say, that spying efforts are intensifying as the world’s two dominant superpowers, the United States and China, battle for superiority across economic, technological, military and ideological fronts.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
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By now, everyone in the SEC realizes football superiority isn’t a birthright.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hauteur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hauteur. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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