vainglorious

adjective

ˌvān-ˈglȯr-ē-əs How to pronounce vainglorious (audio)
Definition of vaingloriousnext
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself a vainglorious woman who always insists on being the center of attention

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 vainglorious Claire’s elective death therefore remains a problematic choice for some viewers, an act of vainglorious selfishness from a woman who was never terribly nice to begin with. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026 Melodramatic and vainglorious, moody and capricious, a fidgety, neurotic hypochondriac, Stalin was a bundle of appalling contradictions. — Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026 All but the most vainglorious architects imagine that their buildings will change in some small way after completion. — Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vainglorious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vainglorious
  1. smug
  2. arrogant
  3. proud
  4. vain
  5. self-important
  6. conceited
  7. pompous
Adjective
  • Historian Sandgruber describes how Alois Hitler wrote his 1895 letters in a deeply smug, anti-clerical manner that overestimated his abilities.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026
  • Li at times plays Cola with a smug impetuousness that belies her naivety about this world to a satisfying degree.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 17 June 2026
Definition of smug
Adjective
  • Odysseus is a complex character known for being brilliant and crafty, but also being somewhat of an arrogant trickster.
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • Under normal conditions, someone who’s bossy or pushy can come across as arrogant and annoying.
    — Matthew Pittman, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Like a proud zookeeper showing off the rarest specimen in his collection, Corsini rarely tries the same trick twice.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
  • Minetree, born the same year as the original film, embraces Elle's optimistic and hardworking spirit, admitting initial nervousness about the iconic role but ultimately feeling proud.
    — Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of proud
Adjective
  • Paul Breitner, West Germany vs Italy, 1982 All in vain, but Breitner restores some German pride with a tidy, low volley on the turn after Italy fail to clear a corner.
    — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • And so vain and superstitious were the KGB’s analysis of Ronald Reagan.
    — Lori A Bashian , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of vain
Adjective
  • It’s dominated by a less than transparent booster, Eli James (Michael Hough), who comes with a self-important wife, Jemma (Mary Holland), and a pair of teenage twin girls who might be described as all dressed up with nowhere to go.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Self-righteous and self-important, priggish and nagging.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Definition of self-important
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Johnson reprises his role as Moana's bantering reluctant partner, the shapeshifting trickster demigod Maui, alongside Jemaine Clement again voicing the conceited giant crustacean Tamatoa.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of conceited
Adjective
  • Does little Arabella care about going to another stuffy awards dinner with her pompous dad?
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of pompous

Browse Nearby Words

vain
vainglorious
vaingloriousness
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Cite this Entry

“Vainglorious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vainglorious. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on vainglorious

Nglish: Translation of vainglorious for Spanish Speakers

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