smugness

noun

Definition of smugnessnext
as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements the sense of smugness that can come with too many easy victories

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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 smugness The demon was largely limited to one expression — smugness — and was inexplicably the only character who spoke Japanese. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 10 June 2026 One widespread subspecies endemic to the area is the haughty Cardinal, recognized by its bright-red plumage and smugness about winning a dozen National League Central crowns. — Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 31 May 2026 At one point, Catherine and I landed on the topic of smugness as an obstacle to creativity. — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 24 May 2026 Excitement—and smugness—hangs in London’s air since the city has gained its own outpost of the sceney eatery. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026 Their attitude, their smugness was palpable. — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026 Just as in real life when a too-good singer gets the mic at karaoke, the scene has a certain smugness. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 The smugness is thicker than split pea. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smugness
  1. vanity
  2. ego
  3. pride
  4. arrogance
  5. complacency
  6. self-satisfaction
Noun
  • The bedroom is paired with a Blue Crystallo quartzite bathroom, where the vanity matches the walk-in shower and a gold soaking tub sits next to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For a Minimal Footprint Specs AccordionItemContainerButton When every inch counts, designers often start by lifting the vanity off the floor.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of vanity
Noun
  • But what really interested us with this movie was trying to understand the humanity and searching for and exploring the love and the loyalty to characters to have a dialogue with an audience and not do it for the sake of ego or shock.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In a day when outsized egos rule the sports landscape, Harvey is humble, upbeat and engaging.
    — Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of ego
Noun
  • His brand shone as a symbol of national pride and soft power.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Rivera nearly stuck the vault, her coach Valeri Liukin beaming with pride.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of pride
Noun
  • Aemond, too, for that matter, while Daemon’s arrogance continues to get Team Black into all sorts of predicaments.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But the league’s own research found that what reads as charisma in Dallas can land as arrogance in Düsseldorf.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • The complacency that has developed around the huge disruption of oil flows in the last five months should not be carried into the months ahead.
    — Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But Kyne cautions against complacency, as bycatch in fisheries, expanding agricultural development and proposals to extract freshwater from northern rivers continue to threaten the nursery habitats young sawfish depend on.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of complacency
Noun
  • The situation gets even worse once Bonnie’s concerned parents try to connect their daughter with friends by buying her a Lilypad, a child-appropriate smart tablet in frog-like casing, voiced with slappably perky self-satisfaction by Greta Lee.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
  • After 50 minutes of self-satisfaction, the hero fades serenely into a sunset that Dudamel made miraculously mystical.
    — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Definition of self-satisfaction

Browse Nearby Words

smuggling
smugness
smut
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Cite this Entry

“Smugness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugness. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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