SMUG Synonyms: 178 Similar and Opposite Words

smug

adjective

ˈsməg

Definition of smug

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

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

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 smug Historian Sandgruber describes how Alois Hitler wrote his 1895 letters in a deeply smug, anti-clerical manner that overestimated his abilities. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026 Li at times plays Cola with a smug impetuousness that belies her naivety about this world to a satisfying degree. — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 17 June 2026 Federer, especially—unperturbed, smug, highly punchable—seems to have brought an almost martyr-like tenacity out of Nadal. — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 6 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for smug

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug

Adjective

Using an acronym meant for minor zoning squabbles against resistance to a massive, 80 mph express train slicing through dense residential blocks is an arrogant posture that completely obscures the true nature of this unconscionable project.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Steve Buscemi as Harry’s regular fence; Tatiana Maslany as his estranged daughter; and Will Price as the arrogant, heat-packing scion of a Manhattan crime family also star.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrogant

Adjective

The midterm elections furnished prediction markets with nearly two billion dollars in bets, a tidy sum for a teetering democracy.

— Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026
Many pollinators overwinter in leaf litter, and making your garden too tidy can reduce the numbers of bees and butterflies that visit in spring.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of tidy

Adjective

Now, Foxx not only has a new outlook on life, but is a proud dad of three.

— Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 4 Nov. 2026
Takeshi’s father is a petty and proud man, in ways continually expanded upon throughout the film’s runtime, though how he’s actually framed never truly changes.

— Kambole Campbell, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of proud

Adjective

But as with most of design history, his career is not easily packaged into neat boxes.

— Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 2 Nov. 2026
The sun sinks low over China’s northeastern rice fields as combines with spinning metal teeth slice neat rows in the tawny stocks.

— Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of neat

Adjective

Played by Jesse Eisenberg, Zuckerberg is dramatized as a conceited, socially awkward college student who repeatedly burns allies in pursuit of power.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, Johnson reprises his role as Moana's bantering reluctant partner, the shapeshifting trickster demigod Maui, alongside Jemaine Clement again voicing the conceited giant crustacean Tamatoa.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 July 2026

Definition of conceited

Adjective

The trim, Venezuelan-leaning restaurant sits at the nexus of the fast-developing Melrose Hill, across the street from Little Fish and Kuya Lord and around the corner from Bar Étoile.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Drawing on his experiences as a wrestler and 24-hour gym-bro style, fits were kept trim so Dong could wear, say, a pair of training shorts ($98) with a matching black quarter zip ($155) to workout in between market appointments in Paris.

— Ari Stark, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of trim

Adjective

These species, along with teal and shovelers, often get categorized by self-important duck hunters as scrap ducks or bonus ducks.

— Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 9 Sep. 2026
Public officials attend each year to bear witness and show their respects, not deliver self-important speeches.

— Ken Frydman, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of self-important

Adjective

According to a PowerPoint presentation reviewed by Semafor, Gelsinger said the industry has grown too complacent and is failing to innovate on new technologies that could create exponential performance gains.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Generative AI tools tend to be complacent, validating user premises without questioning the underlying logic.

— Marco Stefanini, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of complacent

Browse Nearby Words

smudgy

smug

smuggle

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“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of smug

adjective

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