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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smug
What’s more important than the why, though, is the pattern Dark Winds uses these characters to establish: of the corrupted nature of the U.S. government and the smug untouchability of its allies and actors.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
The washers contain a large haul of cocaine, which Mia and Charlie are tasked with delivering to the Chinatown hangout of smug young local Triad boss Tsui Fong (Jeremy Ang Jones) to square up a debt.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
Drew continues to dutifully poke holes in Brit’s victim narrative, telling the new girl that her smug attitude following Kenya’s firing is alienating.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
This brings me back to the siege of Jackson, which happens at the same time as Abby’s smug speechifying and Joel-torturing up at the lodge.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
The washers contain a large haul of cocaine, which Mia and Charlie are tasked with delivering to the Chinatown hangout of smug young local Triad boss Tsui Fong (Jeremy Ang Jones) to square up a debt.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
Drew continues to dutifully poke holes in Brit’s victim narrative, telling the new girl that her smug attitude following Kenya’s firing is alienating.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
This brings me back to the siege of Jackson, which happens at the same time as Abby’s smug speechifying and Joel-torturing up at the lodge.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
-
Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
27 May 2025
-
Multiple people described him to me as unpopular and arrogant.—
Amanda Chicago Lewis,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Keep it tidy with some storage for your gear so your space feels organized, not chaotic.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
-
Memorial Day is a great time to buy a lawnmower Warm weather has arrived, and with that comes yardwork to keep your home tidy.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The city has a long and proud history of coming together through difficult times.—
Chloe Mayer
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
-
At Ferrara, which has a long, proud history of making candy in Chicago, the business outlook is still positive, according to Greg Guidotti, chief marketing officer.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
All five are exceptional and function equally well when served neat or as a cocktail base.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
-
The instruction booklet is thorough, and filled with lots of neat science titbits and facts too.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Sid Justice, though competent in other matches, is given few opportunities to prove himself as a rising star against the notoriously egotistical Hogan.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
-
And for any fan of the show — and Wilson’s over-the-top, egotistical Dwight — the lyrics might not be a total surprise.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
And all of the above actually contributes to the Tiguan losing weight while evolving from the second to third generation, shaving about 160 lbs (72.5 kg), depending on trim.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
ArsTechnica,
16 May 2025
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That's indeed trimmer than the Acer Swift 14 AI (0.74 by 12.3 by 8.8 inches), but a bit larger than the 13.4-inch Dell XPS 13 (0.58 by 11.6 by 7.8 inches).—
Eric Grevstad,
PC Magazine,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
While the issue was addressed before in vain, Macron hinted that it could be considered this time around.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
23 May 2025
-
Her very intimate use of the camera added by a relentless patience gives the film a meditational feeling that ultimately works beyond mere and vain life philosophy.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
This is the worst kind of football team: a conceited but objectively mediocre squad.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
The Mercury News,
17 Nov. 2024
-
Rory Kinnear steals some of the best lines as the conceited British prime minister, and Ato Essandoh, as Kate’s deputy chief, plays the ever-flustered man surrounded by extremely capable women with admirable humor, charm, and confidence.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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