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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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
  • Unlike other music expert podcasts, this one is stripped of any mansplaining or ego — picture just a bunch of music lovers in a room, sitting by a fire and going deep on how young Bob Weir’s vocals sounded in 1970.
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Under the black cape, trash can helmet and ample body armor straight out of a low-budget sci-fi film, Binface’s alter-ego is Jon Harvey, a middle-aged comedian who has spent much of the campaign trying to keep his cool during a sweltering summer.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of ego
Noun
  • Johnson took pride in the team having only two penalties after emphasizing being disciplined on all three sides of the ball.
    — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Intense pride in their home has resulted in both protective zoning codes and an inbred reluctance to sell.
    — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 16 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smugness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugness. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All