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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smugness
Noun
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Play Tetris in your bathroom vanity or junk drawer with these versatile containers.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
8 Oct. 2025 -
Stainless-steel twin vanities are tucked into niches at opposite ends of the 20-foot-long space, while the water closet and double shower are obscured behind frosted glass and metal doors.—
Mark David,
Robb Report,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Both are ruggedly handsome, gruff and not short on ego.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 2025
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The best chief executives know that there’s no place for ego in determining when to go; what matters is what’s best for the institution.—
Kurt Strovink,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In her interview with Us Weekly, Rimes said the lifetime achievement that gives her the most pride is surviving the pitfalls of child stardom — noting that many others have died young.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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The Blue-Reds may not have much to fight for other than pride, though that's saying a lot considering it's been five years since the team last recorded a competitive win.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Still, Patel warns Gen Z that confidence can quickly morph into arrogance.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
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Schmitt suffers a nervous breakdown after his arrogance (and Webber’s long leash on the residency program) leads to him killing a podcaster on the operating table and these two break up again.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Once again, Farley is wary of letting complacency creep in.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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The executives have chuckled at the team’s seeming complacency and incapacity for change, which culminated in a 43-119 record in 2025, a finish that put the club on par with the 2024 Chicago White Sox and 1962 New York Mets in terms of futility.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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After a precise drone and cruise missile successfully hit Saudi Arabia’s vital oil infrastructure in September 2019, Russia could hardly conceal its delight and self-satisfaction.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Trump himself personifies stupidity’s essential feature — self-satisfaction, an inability to recognize the flaws in your thinking.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Smugness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugness. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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