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
Dealing with prying relatives or well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) smug married friends?
—
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
But there’s a throughline in Smith’s most popular works — he’s been cast repeatedly as a villain, and usually an arrogant or smug one.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
But that poem is no smug cliché.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Our friends have started getting engaged in slow, smug succession, one proposal announcement after another.
—Eileen Kelly, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
But there’s a throughline in Smith’s most popular works — he’s been cast repeatedly as a villain, and usually an arrogant or smug one.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
But that poem is no smug cliché.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Our friends have started getting engaged in slow, smug succession, one proposal announcement after another.
—Eileen Kelly, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
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This is an organization that can be frustratingly set in its ways and arrogant in its belief that there’s no better way.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Planning for more than 11 contests out of Dobbins, something only produced twice over his first six NFL seasons, isn’t just arrogant.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The gross for the week was a tidy haul of $1,059,380.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
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Persistent allergy sufferers may be surprised to learn that even the tidiest indoor spaces can be full of pollutants.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Nicole Hensley came to Ball Arena a year ago, proud and excited to be part of the first PWHL game in her hometown.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026
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Authentic and proud cultural celebrations, luaus are uniquely entertaining and, at times, simply mesmerizing with Polynesian dancing and drumming as well as chants, songs and stories about ancient traditions, legends and epic Pacific Ocean migrations.—
Ben Davidson,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For more than a century, academics identified this statue as conveying a calm, neat, and virtuous masculinity.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Mar. 2026
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Putting it in spring training was always a neat solution, but don’t the game’s best players deserve to give their all in a competition that will bring glory and pride to their home nations?—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There’s a version in which Zoro has a vain desire to be remembered.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
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All her years playing cops were not in vain, though.—
Kemi Alemoru,
Glamour,
14 Mar. 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
-
The color, style, and design of railings, trim, porch columns, and even balusters can have a heavy impact on the appearance of the home.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
13 Mar. 2026
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Gross says that using color on the moulding, trim, and even the outside edges of a door is one of her favorite ways to create whimsy.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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 18 Mar. 2026.
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