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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Recent Examples of smugness
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
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
-
All to justify his vanity project.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
The director describes him less as a young actor searching for a performance than as someone instinctively in tune with the character’s vanity, insecurity and swagger.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
By catering to his ego, international leaders can persuade Washington to forget—or at least to ignore—past tensions.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
-
Out of this evolutionary necessity, new ways of leading are emerging based on the consciousness of a connected self, that both embraces the ego and puts it in service of a bigger picture, a higher calling.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Fans can expect this and more on her next release, and all pride aside— a B-sides version of her major label debut, with all due respect.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
3 June 2026
-
Chef Sisca’s personal pride is the classic French omelette, served traditionally with asparagus, French feta, chive and pommes frites or salad.—
Jillian Dara,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The problem is that without Humility, confidence easily becomes arrogance, decisiveness becomes impulsive, and expertise becomes a barrier to learning.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
In Polis’ case, so does arrogance.—
Mark Barabak,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
But emergency management officials across Central Florida fear the somewhat sunny forecast may lead residents to develop a sense of complacency — especially after last season, when not a single tropical storm or hurricane struck the state.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2026
-
His has been a one-man crusade against complacency.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
There should be no smug self-satisfaction in the destructive power of bombs and deafening explosions.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smugness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugness. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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