1
as in proud
having or displaying feelings of scorn for what is regarded as beneath oneself
prideful intellectuals long considered rock music unworthy of serious study
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
at the wedding the prideful snobs ignored their poor relations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in triumphant
having or expressing feelings of joy or triumph
flashed a prideful smile as she received her college diploma
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 prideful
Even though the Lions went to Chicago already eliminated from the postseason, Campbell came away with confirmation that the franchise has prideful players.
—
CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
As someone who has a prideful demeanor, this can be challenging.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 26 Dec. 2025
Darcy’s transformation from prideful and prejudiced (and Elizabeth’s in turn) is why the love story works, and why fans love it so.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
The chemtrail theory is ultimately prideful.
—Calum Lister Matheson, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prideful
CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
As someone who has a prideful demeanor, this can be challenging.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 26 Dec. 2025
Darcy’s transformation from prideful and prejudiced (and Elizabeth’s in turn) is why the love story works, and why fans love it so.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
The chemtrail theory is ultimately prideful.
—Calum Lister Matheson, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prideful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prideful
Adjective
-
Garrison’s younger son had played basketball for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette; this made Garrison proud.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The people are proud of their industrial background.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
China has even more reason to be smug.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Bateman’s Clark is comfortably semi-famous, semi-smug and also, maybe, a decent guy.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Denver Pioneers' men's hockey team has made its triumphant return after beating Wisconsin 2-1 for the team's 11th national title.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Early on, Dhillon sounded triumphant over the resignations.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Notoriously arrogant comedy legend Kent Romero might first bring to mind Chevy Chase for readers, perhaps even 1980s stars like Judge Reinhold, but with his Venezuelan-American background, he was also inspired by real-life groundbreakers like Freddie Prinze.—
Lee Kelly,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Thousands of people fill the streets that surround it in lit, ecstatic union.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The group was visibly overwhelmed by the ecstatic response from the crowd.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To help make the point, Jude cast the distinguished German actress Nina Hoss as a haughty Austrian executive, who appears as a privileged outsider scanning the city’s streets from the back seat of Angela Răducanu’s vehicle.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Nick and Jules’ sister Portia is a real trip, an alternately flighty and haughty mean girl played to devilishly effervescent perfection by Dickinson scene stealer Gus Birney.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Where is our courage to face ourselves, to put aside our vain longing for innocence?—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The former Iranian diplomat Hossein Mousavian once scolded Americans for failing to realize that his people are prideful and vain, and that negotiations meant to humiliate and insult them won’t get far.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prideful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prideful. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
