as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a self-important businessman who believed his schedule mattered more than anyone else's
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-important
And women who foreground themselves in any capacity are often perceived to be self-important drama queens, or narcissists.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
Jeffrey Tambor Known for playing the pompous, self-important mayor of Whoville, Jeffery Tambor also has an esteemed career across television and film.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Not to throw shade, but Aries can be self-important, similarly to how Collins deals with his relationship to others.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
Putting on a show that’s self-important at worst, familiar and forced at best, this frustrating fever dream (a generous term) offers only a handful of surprises to the average horror fan.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-important
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
Jeffrey Tambor Known for playing the pompous, self-important mayor of Whoville, Jeffery Tambor also has an esteemed career across television and film.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Not to throw shade, but Aries can be self-important, similarly to how Collins deals with his relationship to others.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
Putting on a show that’s self-important at worst, familiar and forced at best, this frustrating fever dream (a generous term) offers only a handful of surprises to the average horror fan.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-important
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-important
Adjective
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Most smug articles and books that claim to provide quick fixes come off as tone-deaf or even counterproductive.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
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But the series’ central character, played by Rachel Weisz, has enough nervous, itchy, manic energy to make the show’s narrative structure feel purposely unstable rather than safely smug.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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The tension between the two boils over into a confrontation which only Eisenhower can adjudicate, a task complicated by his own arrogant British subordinate, a wiry and dislikable General Bernard Montgomery - played with a villainous verve bordering on the pantomime by Damian Lewis.—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert,
NPR,
29 May 2026
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Public policy decisions always need to strive for middle ground, and those leadership decisions often referred to as arrogant can just as easily be called principled leadership.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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His eyes were on her, inviting her to be proud of his verticality.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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Popovich will undoubtedly be proud, thrilled and probably not too surprised.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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Three Knights pitchers tried in vain as the Bruins diced up the diamond even though UCF walked UCLA and NCAA home-run leader Megan Grant three times.—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
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The fact that the highlight of Henri’s wartime experience seems to be the moment Petain arrives in Limoges for a parade, only to shun him during a meet-and-greet afterwards, reveals to what extent all his efforts were in vain.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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Claire’s elective death therefore remains a problematic choice for some viewers, an act of vainglorious selfishness from a woman who was never terribly nice to begin with.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
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She’s been warning us since 1818 that vainglorious innovators will destroy the earth.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Self-important.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-important. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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