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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 From the rickhouse to the relay, Heaven Hill’s Championship Barrel Rolling Team carries forward a proud Kentucky tradition of strength, skill, and hometown pride. Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Sep. 2025 Far too many once-proud publications now measure success not in the quality and impact of their journalism but in the number of page views, but this isn’t really satirizing that. Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Bainton is very proud of the courts being installed in Charlotte. Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025 North Carolina, hosting a standalone game on ESPN as the final game of college football’s Week 1, looked more like the late-era New England Patriots teams that precipitated Belichick’s departure from the NFL than the early teams that built one of the league’s proudest dynasties. David Ubben, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for proud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proud
Adjective
  • These early years emphasized goofiness, offensiveness, and mocking arrogant celebrities who pushed their platforms at award shows.
    Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
  • The announcement was made during a backstage segment involving NXT General Manager Ava and the arrogant superstar Lexis King.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Howard sells his smug malice, digging into Matt in a way no one has before until the whole thing devolves into a physical fight.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • In fact, Martineau’s sign angered plenty of Democrats, some of whom were already worried that smug liberal activists are harming the party.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Porsche calls it an e-turbo, and the whole magnificent setup a T-hybrid.
    Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • On a quest to break the spell, Sophie climbs aboard Howl’s magnificent moving castle and into a new life of wonder and adventure.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The triumphant story often taught in American schools sees the integration of Central High as an end point — but the story actually continued for another six decades.
    Time, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
  • After more than a few near-death experiences, Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) came out of Season 2 triumphant — mostly.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Danielle Haim sings, more disdainful than saddened by the dissolution at the heart of the single.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • And that became a very important part of the character.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The combination of Kraft and Heinz, wed with glorious self-praise in 2015, will be legally rent asunder.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • This even includes Queen Bey’s glorious hair.
    Larry Stansbury, Essence, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The prose is ecstatic and freaky and muscular.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
  • If this game was a sign of things to come, Green Bay fans should be ecstatic.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Proud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proud. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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