1
as in arrogant
having too high an opinion of oneself
a winner who was so smug that he lost the goodwill of the crowd
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tidy
being clean and in good order
the suburb's smug lawns and tree-lined streets bespeak a comfortable affluence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smug
My math teachers of old are very smug somewhere.
—
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
China has even more reason to be smug.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Bateman’s Clark is comfortably semi-famous, semi-smug and also, maybe, a decent guy.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Over Your Dead Body is not for the faint of heart, but give or take a rape threat that crosses the line into smug sadism without quite seeming to realize it, the violence lands as more comically cartoonish than horrific.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smug
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
China has even more reason to be smug.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Bateman’s Clark is comfortably semi-famous, semi-smug and also, maybe, a decent guy.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Over Your Dead Body is not for the faint of heart, but give or take a rape threat that crosses the line into smug sadism without quite seeming to realize it, the violence lands as more comically cartoonish than horrific.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
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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Get into a routine of deadheading fading flowers regularly to keep the garden tidy and encourage more blooms from flowers like dahlias, marigolds, coneflowers, and roses.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
-
The garden is a tidy collection of rectangular plots tended by co-team leads Elaine Davis and Jessica Asimus and three Colorado master gardeners.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
And after what is now the fifth-longest scoreless innings streak in MLB history ended, a neat moment ensued when the crowd at Citizens Bank Park gave Sánchez an extended standing ovation.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2026
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Making sure your garage, kitchen, closet, dresser drawers, and bathroom are neat and tidy and free of clutter can feel like a full-time job.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Nightshade Edition models are the most stylish of the trim options, adding a trim-exclusive color and exterior touches.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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Depending on trim, power climbs from 765 lb-ft of torque up to 785 (1,037 to 1,064 Nm).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Self-righteous and self-important, priggish and nagging.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
Only this time the interns are boring Gen Z stereotypes (obsessed with TikTok, too sensitive, too emotional, too self-important).—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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