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
His cruel caricature of the technocratic, self-important, and sometimes petty bureaucratic culture of the commission is largely accurate.
—
Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
So many of the latter comes thanks to Niecy Nash’s Nurse DiDi, who seems to take the time to see her patients as worthwhile much more often than her cohorts, the self-important Dr. Jenna James (Laurie Metcalf) and pitiful nurse Dawn (Alex Borstein).
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
The Green Mile, with its three-hours-plus run time, might as well be exhibit A for Hollywood’s myriad overlong, self-important Oscar-bait dramas.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Unsurprisingly, the small army of senior executives with make-work jobs and self-important titles, who add little to nothing to build Hearst’s brands, apparently made it through today relatively unscathed.
—Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for self-important
Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
So many of the latter comes thanks to Niecy Nash’s Nurse DiDi, who seems to take the time to see her patients as worthwhile much more often than her cohorts, the self-important Dr. Jenna James (Laurie Metcalf) and pitiful nurse Dawn (Alex Borstein).
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
The Green Mile, with its three-hours-plus run time, might as well be exhibit A for Hollywood’s myriad overlong, self-important Oscar-bait dramas.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Unsurprisingly, the small army of senior executives with make-work jobs and self-important titles, who add little to nothing to build Hearst’s brands, apparently made it through today relatively unscathed.
—Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for self-important
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-important
Adjective
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The smug and sanctimonious tenor of their briefing makes that plain.—
Christie D’Zurilla,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
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In a comedic twist, the Labrador retriever was filmed turning back to his owner during the drive, with a smug look on his face as if to boast about his comfortable spot.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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The protests proved conclusively that Americans will not tolerate the deployment of the U.S. military in American cities, the constant line-stepping over constitutional boundaries, the arrests of political dissenters, or the arrogant defense of police-state tactics.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
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In Aesop’s fable, the turtle (traditionally called a tortoise, which is a type of turtle) is a winner, a perpetual underdog who defeats the arrogant hare.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The men were very egotistical in this film and no one really showed up.—
Jeff Conway,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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In the upcoming film, Oscar Isaac stars as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature (Jacob Elordi) to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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Congratulations to the Ninth Circuit, America is proud of you tonight!—
Martha McHardy
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
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By agreeing on the eventual package of £116m, Hughes and Rolfes were able to shake hands and both feel proud of the outcome.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Cowdrey was struck a painful blow by Somerset’s Adrian Jones the following week while trying in vain to lead Kent to the County Championship title and, brutally, his time in charge of the national team was quietly curtailed.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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But Simmons takes his time building his flawed character, who is soft-spoken in private, vain about his appearance and unfaithful to his wife.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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Donald Trump’s vainglorious birthday parade masquerading as a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army may get drenched in a rainy DC this Flag Day, but the financial sun is shining a bit brighter for some suffering Hollywood vendors.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
14 June 2025
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Not to the founders — three vainglorious men who had been born with the world in their hands and their futures glittering like gold coins waiting to be spent — but to the people of Hartford.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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This is the worst kind of football team: a conceited but objectively mediocre squad.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
The Mercury News,
17 Nov. 2024
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Rory Kinnear steals some of the best lines as the conceited British prime minister, and Ato Essandoh, as Kate’s deputy chief, plays the ever-flustered man surrounded by extremely capable women with admirable humor, charm, and confidence.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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At 11:30, as the simultaneously pompous and obsequious gate agent announces the passengers above gold status, the bit, already tilting toward insanity, leaves any attempt to portray a real airport behind and dives fully into Alice in Wonderland–level surrealism.—
John Roy,
Vulture,
8 May 2025
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Signaling a stark departure from tradition that, over the centuries, had ranged from formal to pompous, Pope Francis began teaching us, from day one, what the most genuine leadership looks like. Humble.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-important.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-important. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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