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as in triumphant
having or expressing feelings of joy or triumph in his acceptance letter he assured his soon-to-be boss that he was proud to be joining such a fine company

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective proud differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of proud are arrogant, disdainful, haughty, insolent, lordly, overbearing, and supercilious. While all these words mean "showing scorn for inferiors," proud may suggest an assumed superiority or loftiness.

too proud to take charity

When could arrogant be used to replace proud?

The meanings of arrogant and proud largely overlap; however, arrogant implies a claiming for oneself of more consideration or importance than is warranted.

a conceited and arrogant executive

Where would disdainful be a reasonable alternative to proud?

The words disdainful and proud are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, disdainful suggests a more active and openly scornful superciliousness.

disdainful of their social inferiors

When would haughty be a good substitute for proud?

While the synonyms haughty and proud are close in meaning, haughty suggests a consciousness of superior birth or position.

a haughty aristocrat

When might insolent be a better fit than proud?

In some situations, the words insolent and proud are roughly equivalent. However, insolent implies contemptuous haughtiness.

ignored by an insolent waiter

When can lordly be used instead of proud?

Although the words lordly and proud have much in common, lordly implies pomposity or an arrogant display of power.

a lordly condescension

In what contexts can overbearing take the place of proud?

The synonyms overbearing and proud are sometimes interchangeable, but overbearing suggests a tyrannical manner or an intolerable insolence.

an overbearing supervisor

When is it sensible to use supercilious instead of proud?

The words supercilious and proud can be used in similar contexts, but 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 proud The proud girl dad shares his daughters Olivia Savchenko and Zlata Savchenko with his ex-wife Elena Samodanova. Alexandra Hurtado, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025 Super proud of their effort, big-time catches late, big-time catches when it was needed and great routes and getting to their spots. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025 Alisha Johnson Wilder, Apple’s senior director of environment, policy, and social initiatives, said the company is proud to support the vital work of Empowerment Plan. Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025 Being proud of my Cuban heritage — there’s Andy Garcia, Desi Arnez and there’s Gloria. Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for proud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proud
Adjective
  • Jack Cutmore-Scott as Julius Beaufort, an arrogant new money banker at the center of New York society with an interest in Ellen.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Jean stepped out as Nia approached—lean and arrogant, a cigarette pinched between her lips.
    David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • However, Ralph has a smug attitude when talking to Brad.
    Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Colum’s smug assurance that the wedding will happen soon is rocked when Ned shows up with news of the Grants’ suspicions about the raid.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • All of them have been magnificent.
    Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Oh, and the triumphant return of Jake's magnificent Toruk beast, too.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Day-Lewises shot the film primarily on location in Wales and in Manchester, England last year, and it’s now headed into awards season touting Day-Lewis’ triumphant return to the screen.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The good people of the Tri-state Area are starving for a championship, not just from the Knicks but from any of their major pro sports teams, and 2026 could be the year Midtown Manhattan finally plays host to a triumphant parade.
    Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Talking about the huddle, one of his teammates just walked off the field inexplicably (Governor Kugler) taking early retirement and two others (Waller and Bowman) are openly disdainful of his play calling.
    Bob Haber, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
  • For decades, the Academy seemed to keep Cruise at a vaguely disdainful distance, dismissing him as more of an action figure than a serious ack-TOOR.
    Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2025
  • None is more important than quarterback Lamar Jackson.
    Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • However, your best bet for seeing the glorious reds, oranges, or yellows of the oak, hickory, and maple trees along the route will be mid to late October.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
  • And yes, some of them are still only publicly available in glorious 360-pixel formats.
    James Factora, Them., 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Lee, one of the few female religious leaders of the 18th century, and her followers were known for worshipping through ecstatic song and movement.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Born in the northern English city of Manchester in 1736, Ann Lee was the charismatic leader of the religious movement that came to be known as the Shakers, for its ecstatic singing and dancing that involved shaking.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Proud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proud. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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