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
Just so smug and elitist and short-sighted.
—
Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
In fact, Martineau’s sign angered plenty of Democrats, some of whom were already worried that smug liberal activists are harming the party.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Perhaps the frustration this time will be mitigated slightly as EV owners feel a bit smug about eliminating range anxiety.
—Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
And aren’t the organized terrorist groups smug and self-satisfied that their civilian proxies, many here in the United States, are doing their dirty work for them?
—Diane Gensler, Baltimore Sun, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
In fact, Martineau’s sign angered plenty of Democrats, some of whom were already worried that smug liberal activists are harming the party.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Perhaps the frustration this time will be mitigated slightly as EV owners feel a bit smug about eliminating range anxiety.
—Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
And aren’t the organized terrorist groups smug and self-satisfied that their civilian proxies, many here in the United States, are doing their dirty work for them?
—Diane Gensler, Baltimore Sun, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
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This version of Ryan was arrogant, unable to conceal pride in his accomplishment.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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So long as that situation continues, the 43-year-old’s allegedly arrogant and stand-offish treatment of his players will not worry the club hierarchy too much.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In short, Beats Fit Pro blends punchy audio, a super-secure fit, and capable ANC in a tidy package that favors iPhone users while still playing nicely with Android for 26% off right now.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Nov. 2025
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Much of that doesn’t easily fit into a tidy pitch deck or a three-month sprint.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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There are certainly some top-notch barbecue restaurants that made the cut, but the Michelin selection barely scratches the surface of the South’s long, proud barbecue tradition.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
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What’s left now is a proud elite program trying to scrape its way into bowl season.—
D’Joumbarey Moreau,
Miami Herald,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The pleasant, polished drama provides a compassionate take on a high schooler undergoing considerable change, its only debit being the arguably too-neat depiction of that transitional circumstance.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Along the shores of Grand Traverse Bay in northern Michigan are vineyards lined with neat rows of grapevines.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Your granddaughters will love in vain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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Yet the efforts so far have been in vain.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The kooky characters surrounding Judge Stone included the conceited prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), the imposing bailiff Bull Shannon (Richard Moll), and the idealistic public defender Christine Sullivan (Markie Post), each of whom had various quirks of their own.—
Dan Heching,
EW.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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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
Adjective
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The recall comes six months after Tesla and the NHTSA recalled roughly 46,000 Cybertrucks that were at risk of a trim panel detaching.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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This method for choosing a color scheme pairs a soft neutral for the walls, a crisp white for trim, baseboards, and ceilings, and a deeper version of the wall color for doors or window frames.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Like Muscle Man, Mixtape follows a self-important, inarticulate mediocrity on the fringe of a minor American metropolis.—
Robert Rubsam,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
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Their music provided a suitably self-important soundtrack as Great Recession-era artisanal hipsterdom faded into the careerist hopefulness of the latter Obama years, when Everlane minimalism supplanted lumberjack plaid.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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