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
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
Noun
-
Quintrell is also a fan of color drenching—specifically, the trim and vanity.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
-
Bathrooms are large, with soaking tubs, walk-in showers, and double vanities, standard even in entry-level room categories.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
For Fergie, joining the military didn’t just appeal to his ego and ambition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
In the finale, with Ben’s The Spider alter-ego on the verge of being exposed, Robbie steps in by donning the Spider suit on his behalf — allowing Morris, who grew up a massive Spider-Man fan, to fulfill a kind of childhood dream.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
That's what Armen and Jaime Azizyan, the co-owners of the floral studio, Flybunker, take a lot of pride in being able to do.—
Max Darrow,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
Mobutu spoke of great achievements, the pride at being the first Black African team at a World Cup, even how good the Zaire yellow shirts (which Mobutu apparently had a hand in designing) looked against their skin.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Deficient Humility manifests as arrogance, which can fracture teams and alienate fans.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
His mixture of insecurity and arrogance was eye-catching.—
PhotoVogue,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Now in the midst of their best stretch of the season, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough is making sure the momentum does not turn into complacency.—
Tyler Carmona
June 11,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
In-person connections come with a higher premium, and getting out provides a buffer against complacency.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Smugness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugness. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
