as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a self-important businessman who believed his schedule mattered more than anyone else's
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Recent Examples of self-important
Balmy does prove to be slightly sinister and fully absurd, in the way of self-important cult leaders everywhere, and Le Moulin even more so.
—
Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
The former excels at playing the earthy, sly, seductive trickster, the latter, the pompous, self-important rich boy.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2024
What about Miami would attract a phony, conniving, self-important, billionaire pedophile?
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 10 June 2024
And both weave rich tapestries out of seemingly disconnected actions through a panoramic collection of archetypes: the criminal outsider, the lonely lady, the political expert, the self-important political climber, the master manipulator.
—Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for self-important
Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
The former excels at playing the earthy, sly, seductive trickster, the latter, the pompous, self-important rich boy.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2024
What about Miami would attract a phony, conniving, self-important, billionaire pedophile?
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 10 June 2024
And both weave rich tapestries out of seemingly disconnected actions through a panoramic collection of archetypes: the criminal outsider, the lonely lady, the political expert, the self-important political climber, the master manipulator.
—Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for self-important
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-important
Adjective
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But those smug computers obviously haven’t seen a shirtless Illini coach Brad Underwood and his Super Soaker squirt gun.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
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Step 15: Label the Tupperware with its contents and date, feeling ever-so-briefly and beautifully like a smug Instagram tradwife.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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So this kind of parallel can easily be drawn between Iran and other countries, [including those with] an arrogant isolation program, definitely.—
Georg Szalai,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Mar. 2025
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One of the targets of his reign of terror is arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen, played by Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush admitted to the facility after being left partially paralyzed after a stroke.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Finer says, tensely, that, at end of day, Liv savvy, Liv smart, Liv too egotistical to kill self.—
George Saunders,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2025
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There’s no egotistical rock star bullsh**t going on here.—
Quentin Thane Singer,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Jaylon is a proud alumnus of the University of Georgia.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2025
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James, the proud dad was caught on camera celebrating the win like his own team had won the championship.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The heavy nature of this defeat will end any title talk, but the reality check handed out by Atalanta must not be in vain.—
Adam Digby,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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Knight’s family has spent thousands of dollars over the past decade and hired multiple attorneys trying to get his sentence reduced, but all in vain.—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Daemon, Viserys’s vainglorious younger brother, had married his niece in part as a way to strengthen his own bid for the throne, and Alicent had pushed for the ascension of her immature firstborn, Aegon.—
Inkoo Kang,
The New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2024
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Debuting March 3, the six-part realpolitik satire, created and executive produced by Succession alum Will Tracy, sees Oscar and Emmy winner Winslet return to HBO in an often hilarious role as the vainglorious Elena.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
20 June 2024
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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Still, this adaptation of an O. Henry story tilts all its sympathies toward the outlaw hero the Cisco Kid (Warner Baxter, in a Best Actor–winning role) and away from the pompous white soldier charged with tracking him down.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
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And every scene and song featuring the hilarious Eric Anderson as the pompous and preening Union Gen. George B. McClellan is a comic gem.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-important.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-important. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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