as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a vainglorious woman who always insists on being the center of attention
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Recent Examples of vainglorious
Too many American leaders seem more focused on the vainglorious posturing that too often leads to armed conflict.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 May 2025
Hwang’s vainglorious campaign underscores his later experience producing his next play, Face Value, and facing the death of his father, Henry Yuan Hwang (HYH), a patriotic immigrant and founder of Far East National Bank.
—Armond White, National Review, 21 May 2025
Ivy-as-Marilyn is an inconsiderate, amphetamine guzzling faux-intellectual whose devotion to the acting craft is presented as a vainglorious affectation.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
The name is meant to evoke Theodore Roosevelt’s vainglorious 1898 cavalry charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vainglorious
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 May 2025
Hwang’s vainglorious campaign underscores his later experience producing his next play, Face Value, and facing the death of his father, Henry Yuan Hwang (HYH), a patriotic immigrant and founder of Far East National Bank.
—Armond White, National Review, 21 May 2025
Ivy-as-Marilyn is an inconsiderate, amphetamine guzzling faux-intellectual whose devotion to the acting craft is presented as a vainglorious affectation.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
The name is meant to evoke Theodore Roosevelt’s vainglorious 1898 cavalry charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vainglorious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vainglorious
Adjective
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For those still on Windows 10 who might be feeling rather smug at avoiding these Windows 11 issues, Windows Latest has just issued a new warning, given that its own recent updates are not faring any better.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
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His reboot has the benefit of an actor, David Corenswet, who may not have a lot of colors to work with, but whose presence is infinitely easier to take and less of a huge pile of smug than Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
In addition to Sandler, the 2025 film also sees the return of several familiar faces, including Julie Bowen as Happy’s love interest, Virginia Venit; Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin, Happy’s arrogant nemesis; and Ben Stiller as Hal L., the orderly from Happy’s grandmother’s nursing home.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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Christopher McDonald plays Happy’s comically villainous, arrogant rival Shooter McGavin, maestro of the finger guns.—
Skyler Trepel,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Bobby Lee is proud of Borderlands, but his experience at the movie's premiere wasn't entirely pleasant.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
26 July 2025
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But that policy can also backfire – in part because many regions, such as Marathi-speaking Maharashtra in the west – are staunchly proud of their local language.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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If change doesn’t come, then my son’s death was in vain.—
Isabel Rivera,
Miami Herald,
16 July 2025
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And even if the door slams shut and the Rays actually do end up staying in Tampa Bay, the Dreamers’ effort wasn’t in vain.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Such an obvious way to exhibit his egotistical personality.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
22 June 2025
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Responding to questions from defense lawyer Teny Geragos, Jane agreed that Combs became more apologetic and attentive, less egotistical and cold.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
This splendid, wry satire is about a wealthy family, self-important and confident in their morality, whose blithe and bumptious existences are thrown into disarray when their father clandestinely decides to give all their money to charity, and so (in their opinions) completely destroys their lives.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
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It was being painted as an out-of-touch, arcane, and self-important social institution from a bygone era, and was doing very little to dispel that characterization.—
David Rosowsky,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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This is the worst kind of football team: a conceited but objectively mediocre squad.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
The Mercury News,
17 Nov. 2024
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Rory Kinnear steals some of the best lines as the conceited British prime minister, and Ato Essandoh, as Kate’s deputy chief, plays the ever-flustered man surrounded by extremely capable women with admirable humor, charm, and confidence.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Louis Partridge will take on Mr Darcy’s nemesis, Mr Wickham with Jamie Demetriou turning his hand to the pompous Mr Collins and Fiona Shaw as the fearsome Lady Catherine de Bourg.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
29 July 2025
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Warner also had a memorable guest arc as Eric Sanders, pompous boyfriend of Karyn Parsons' Hilary Banks, on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vainglorious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vainglorious. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.
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