as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
the supercilious art dealer rolled her eyes when we asked if she had anything for under $1,000
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Recent Examples of supercilious
Raring to go, all the top military brass, including the agitated Eisenhower and his supercilious British counterpart General Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis), act as though the rational, needfully single-minded man of science has personally betrayed the mission.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 May 2026
Her supercilious caricature of a boss, Suzie (Tara Summers), serves merely as a source of pressure.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Characters are skewed not to create an evenhanded debate but to sensationalize one, with a young fact-minded novice looking to follow the rules is blindsided by a supercilious writer not willing to bend his vision to the needs of editors, fact checkers or even printers or distributors.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
And now the supercilious Ivy League twits try to dodge the consequences of their woke follies.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025
Klára works at a grocery store formerly owned by the family of her colleague Elza (Hermina Fátyol) but now taken over by a supercilious Stalinist (Konrád Quintus) who doesn’t bother hiding his disdain for the two Jewish women.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
The plot revolves around the attempts of various parties to get a hold of a Lakota ghost shirt that has come into the possession of a supercilious business tycoon and acquirer of rare artifacts, Pendleton Duvall (Toby Huss).
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Economics, that supercilious, take-me-seriously profession?
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
The show perpetuates corporate media’s retaliation against those who oppose its leftist, Marxist, Communist, socialist agenda — the ideological myth favored by superficial and supercilious showbiz types ever since All the President’s Men and Network.
—Armond White, National Review, 30 Apr. 2025
Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 May 2026
Her supercilious caricature of a boss, Suzie (Tara Summers), serves merely as a source of pressure.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Characters are skewed not to create an evenhanded debate but to sensationalize one, with a young fact-minded novice looking to follow the rules is blindsided by a supercilious writer not willing to bend his vision to the needs of editors, fact checkers or even printers or distributors.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
And now the supercilious Ivy League twits try to dodge the consequences of their woke follies.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025
Klára works at a grocery store formerly owned by the family of her colleague Elza (Hermina Fátyol) but now taken over by a supercilious Stalinist (Konrád Quintus) who doesn’t bother hiding his disdain for the two Jewish women.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
The plot revolves around the attempts of various parties to get a hold of a Lakota ghost shirt that has come into the possession of a supercilious business tycoon and acquirer of rare artifacts, Pendleton Duvall (Toby Huss).
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Economics, that supercilious, take-me-seriously profession?
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
The show perpetuates corporate media’s retaliation against those who oppose its leftist, Marxist, Communist, socialist agenda — the ideological myth favored by superficial and supercilious showbiz types ever since All the President’s Men and Network.
—Armond White, National Review, 30 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for supercilious
Adjective
-
As Molloy gradually succeeds in puncturing Lestat’s aloof, arrogant outer shell, his sound correspondingly shifts from assaultive punk to more contemplative ballads.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 June 2026
-
But Lobo isn't some mindless arrogant hulk out to impose his indomitable will.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Food Processor quickly chops, slices, and shreds a wide array of ingredients for unlimited culinary creations, while the Coffee & Spice Grinder efficiently grinds coffee beans, spices, and herbs for superior flavor and potency.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
-
And that’s a result of of there being a touch of a commercial food emulsifier in the drink called xantham gum, which holds the ice and liquid together for superior consistency.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Not to sound pretentious, but Elwood Dowd is sort of like a Christlike figure.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
-
Set the scene Sexy without being pretentious and bold without the brashness, Il Sereno is a lesson in artful restraint.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The usually pompous Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9th had to be pared down for fear of Ukrainian drones.—
Natasha Lindstaedt,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Supercilious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supercilious. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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