1
as in arrogant
having too high an opinion of oneself
a winner who was so smug that he lost the goodwill of the crowd
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tidy
being clean and in good order
the suburb's smug lawns and tree-lined streets bespeak a comfortable affluence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smug
While the Duttons are just barely scraping by, the smug evil-doer is enjoying a warm bath in his mansion.
—
Matt Cabral, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2025
Most of your editorials, John Brummett, Rex Nelson, and John Deering, are blatant Trump haters, and their smug, condescending echo-chamber mindsets are constantly denigrating, mocking, and disrespecting at least 64 percent of your potential readers.
—arkansasonline.com, 15 Feb. 2025
Oliver then suddenly appeared with a smug look on his face.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 11 Feb. 2025
Remember how, in that SNL book, Ferrell represented the hip future of comedy, mocking the smug boomer shtick of a Chevy Chase?
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Matt Cabral, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2025
Most of your editorials, John Brummett, Rex Nelson, and John Deering, are blatant Trump haters, and their smug, condescending echo-chamber mindsets are constantly denigrating, mocking, and disrespecting at least 64 percent of your potential readers.
—arkansasonline.com, 15 Feb. 2025
Oliver then suddenly appeared with a smug look on his face.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 11 Feb. 2025
Remember how, in that SNL book, Ferrell represented the hip future of comedy, mocking the smug boomer shtick of a Chevy Chase?
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
-
Ava Daniels is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation for being self-centered and arrogant.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
And the villains, of course, exuding every nastily relatable emotion; the stepmothers and sorceresses are vain, arrogant, dismissive, lonely, rude, and outrageous.—
Darren Franich,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But with all of the other roster needs, taking care of the insurance plan at the most important position was a tidy bit of business by the front office.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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And just to put a tidy bow on her freshman awards season, Bueckers became the first freshman to win the Associated Press Women’s Basketball Player of the Year Award—an honor which, as a video of the announcement shows, brought her to tears.—
Lizzy Briskin,
SELF,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Mike is a native of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the proud home of Steelers training camp, and graduated from American University in Washington, D.C.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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In a post-credits scene from a recent episode of The Kardashians, the proud mom looked at the analytics from her daughter's Lion King performance and was shocked that North was more popular than the rest of her family.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The problem is that these stages rarely unfold in a neat, linear fashion.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
There’s plenty of head room in both rows of seats and a spacious cargo compartment that offers features including a rubber mat, dog-friendly package and a neat underfloor compartment that creates space for a full-size spare — something serious off-roaders demand.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In the 1998 episode, Theroux, 53, appears briefly as an egotistical writer who flirts with Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw at a party.—
John Russell,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Yes: Crumb’s work is egotistical, misogynist, racist—or, more generously, a feculent parody.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harper's Magazine,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
It’s designed with a deep V-neckline, six-button front, and ribbed trim.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
People.com,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Odenkirk, by contrast, is trim and fit and dressed sharply, with a black-and-red Chicago Cubs cap atop his head.—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Not gaining admission to a BS/MD program after years of work can feel like a setback, but rest assured that your hard work will not be in vain.—
Kristen Moon,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Real celebrities guest-starred in often awkward encounters with the always vain and self-centered Miss Piggy.—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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