as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
thought that the kids at his new school were snobbish and stuck-up
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 stuck-up
Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 7 July 2025
Greer’s disdainful, stuck-up lines ooze out of Kidman’s mouth.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024
Men fear that stepping outside those norms could lead to teasing, looking unprofessional, or appearing too formal or stuck-up.
—Byeva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 June 2024
During his time at Bushwood Country Club, O’Keefe’s character becomes involved in a rivalry amongst a prominent, stuck-up member of the club – Judge Elihu Smails (played by Ted Knight) – and a boisterous, jokester guest named Al Czervik (played by legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield).
—Ben Morse, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The two click, and in episode 3 of the new season, Peggy visits Dr. Kirkland at his home in Newport, meeting his parents, who are extremely stuck-up and look down on Peggy's family's humbler origins.
—Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 7 July 2025
Greer’s disdainful, stuck-up lines ooze out of Kidman’s mouth.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024
Men fear that stepping outside those norms could lead to teasing, looking unprofessional, or appearing too formal or stuck-up.
—Byeva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 June 2024
During his time at Bushwood Country Club, O’Keefe’s character becomes involved in a rivalry amongst a prominent, stuck-up member of the club – Judge Elihu Smails (played by Ted Knight) – and a boisterous, jokester guest named Al Czervik (played by legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield).
—Ben Morse, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stuck-up
Adjective
-
But the series’ central character, played by Rachel Weisz, has enough nervous, itchy, manic energy to make the show’s narrative structure feel purposely unstable rather than safely smug.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
-
McDaniels, who cut through the Nuggets’ egos early in the series with fearless words and a smug grin, got the last laugh.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Feduccia and the Rays were robbed of back-to-back homers in the sixth by their own ballpark.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 May 2026
-
Yount’s fine catch with two outs in the ninth inning robbed Eddie Murray from breaking up a no-hitter.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The tricky part of being a celebrity like Firstman on the internet is that some people can conflate your comedic persona (which is maybe a little arrogant, a little colorful) with your real identity.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
Hunter is stubborn, arrogant and gifted enough to play for the Briar hockey team, yet refuses to for reasons the show has yet to reveal.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
During this seemingly very important meeting, however, Altman claimed that Musk held up talks by making everyone look at memes with him.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
14 May 2026
-
In late 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Administration did agree to fund a $42-million buyout program for about 20 homes ruined by the land movement, but that money remains held up in a long approval process, Mihranian said.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Subsequent photos showed the proud parents smiling in the audience as their daughter walked across the stage to collect her degree, Zahra alongside her friends in their graduation regalia and a glimpse at a family celebration.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
Paul McCartney is proud of the impact his music has on people.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Threatening violence against crypto owners to give up access to their funds is becoming more common, according to cryptocurrency experts, with hundreds of millions of dollars expected to be ripped off just this year.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
Fatu once again got Reigns in the Tongan Death Drip, and Reigns grabbed at the referee and ripped off the turnbuckle.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Avoid Burying Praise in Negatives To avoid making children too conceited, parents might bury praise in the midst of negatives.—
Wayne Parker,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The Pitt definitely feels like the type of workplace where conceited doctors-in-training are pretty much guaranteed to quickly get knocked down a peg.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That includes Moscow cutting off natural gas supplies to Europe in retaliation for sanctions the West imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
-
The pitch was invaded a few seconds after the final whistle.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stuck-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuck-up. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
