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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

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a proud nation
a noble nation
a boastful nation
a mighty nation
a glorious nation
a magnificent nation
a proud owner
a pleased owner
an enthusiastic owner
an elated owner
a satisfied owner
a delighted owner
a proud moment
a glorious moment
a special moment
an awesome moment
a happy moment
an amazing moment

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 entire family is so proud of Baker for showing such resilience and bravery at such a young age. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025 The exercise made the family proud, according to Puig. Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 11 July 2025 Always proud of his fastball-slider combo, Rodón previously said that he’s become less stubborn about sticking to his bread and butter as his secondary stuff has improved. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025 Our more than 18,000 Bombardier employees are proud to welcome this new, important customer to our family. Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for proud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proud
Adjective
  • As the day goes on, Jim goes from a caricature of an arrogant male director to an oddly compelling picture of a pathetic man, moved by spite toward his ex-wife, Anita.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 July 2025
  • Actor Tyler Hilton played Chris Keller, a charming but arrogant musician, on four seasons of the teen soap.
    Bryan West, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Adjective
  • For those still on Windows 10 who might be feeling rather smug at avoiding these Windows 11 issues, Windows Latest has just issued a new warning, given that its own recent updates are not faring any better.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
  • His reboot has the benefit of an actor, David Corenswet, who may not have a lot of colors to work with, but whose presence is infinitely easier to take and less of a huge pile of smug than Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel.
    Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • Paleontologists have spent decades hotly debating why such magnificent beasts went extinct, the emerging picture involving a one-two punch of increasing human influence on the landscape and a warmer interglacial climate that began to change the world’s ecosystems.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025
  • The July full moon put on a magnificent show on July 10, rising low over the southern horizon to the delight of stargazers and astrophotographers worldwide.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • The symphony drives to a triumphant, satisfying conclusion.
    Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 11 July 2025
  • Australian hip-hop heavyweights Hilltop Hoods are gearing up for a triumphant return to the road in 2026 with their Never Coming Home national arena tour, supporting their upcoming album Fall From the Light.
    Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • Trump has even been disdainful or dismissive of the United States’ traditional allies, such as Mexico and Argentina.
    Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2017
  • Wise minds inside the Trump administration will hopefully choose to drop a suit first introduced during by a Biden administration reflexively disdainful of big.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Another important preventative measure athletes can take is preparing for life after sport.
    Brook Choulet, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • On the flip-side, the World Health Organization cites traffic noise such as road, rail and air traffic as the second most important cause of ill health in western Europe behind air pollution.
    Daisy Jones, Vogue, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • But fall offers another harvest season — a glorious harvest season.
    Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 18 July 2025
  • There are few things as glorious as a perfect summer night spent at a music festival, listening to your favorite artists as the sun sets at golden hour.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 13 July 2025
Adjective
  • Here's our review, including review and reactions from others who were equally as ecstatic about the Snack Wrap's return.
    Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 11 July 2025
  • Both are also Black art forms that require incredible discipline and a lifetime of study but which, when performed at their highest levels, encourage a freedom of expression that can take the audience into an ecstatic state.
    Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Proud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proud. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

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