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
Relevance
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
The ceremony has remained a smug political distraction ever since.
—
Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Most everyone in attendance at 2220 seemed to be there to meet or support one of their favorite artists, one of the devout purists of our time who manages to remain that without getting smug, lazy or feral, all common pitfalls.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Woods kept everyone guessing — a favorite hobby of his — with one word and a smug grin last week at Riviera when he was asked if playing in the Masters was off the table.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Dealing with prying relatives or well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) smug married friends?
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smug
Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Most everyone in attendance at 2220 seemed to be there to meet or support one of their favorite artists, one of the devout purists of our time who manages to remain that without getting smug, lazy or feral, all common pitfalls.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Woods kept everyone guessing — a favorite hobby of his — with one word and a smug grin last week at Riviera when he was asked if playing in the Masters was off the table.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Dealing with prying relatives or well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) smug married friends?
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
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Notoriously arrogant comedy legend Kent Romero might first bring to mind Chevy Chase for readers, perhaps even 1980s stars like Judge Reinhold, but with his Venezuelan-American background, he was also inspired by real-life groundbreakers like Freddie Prinze.—
Lee Kelly,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
-
As the sun and Jupiter clash, you’re cosmically protected, but arrogant behavior won’t get a pass.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Maryam had a practical, tidy mind, and Farhan's sudden disappearance had unhinged her.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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The Bottom Line The connection between a tidy space and a calmer mind is more than folk wisdom.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Garrison’s younger son had played basketball for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette; this made Garrison proud.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The people are proud of their industrial background.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s even a neat little umbrella holster indentation in the very back to contain the runoff from a wet umbrella—great feature to have here in the rainy springtime.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Eventually, my letters became neater, rounder, more consistent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Where is our courage to face ourselves, to put aside our vain longing for innocence?—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The former Iranian diplomat Hossein Mousavian once scolded Americans for failing to realize that his people are prideful and vain, and that negotiations meant to humiliate and insult them won’t get far.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 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
-
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
-
For the invite-only event, Roberts styled the shorts with a black zip-up jacket with white trim, oversized sunglasses, and leather ankle boots.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Nearly every automaker has some off-road variant or trim.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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This isn’t just one self-important critic’s opinion — Berry herself has talked about it.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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