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
Relevance
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
Saudi Arabia has, after all, seen the axis of resistance’s vainglorious and quixotic movie before.
—
Bernard Haykel, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024
Maximilian is often portrayed as a vainglorious buffoon, a quixotic old-school European aristocrat egged on by an ambitious wife.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
The tragedy is that reality does not care one iota for our vainglorious beliefs.
—David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023
The current policy of neglect about our laws is financially ruinous, and morally vainglorious.
—The Editors, National Review, 14 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for vainglorious
Bernard Haykel, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024
Maximilian is often portrayed as a vainglorious buffoon, a quixotic old-school European aristocrat egged on by an ambitious wife.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
The tragedy is that reality does not care one iota for our vainglorious beliefs.
—David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023
The current policy of neglect about our laws is financially ruinous, and morally vainglorious.
—The Editors, National Review, 14 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for vainglorious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vainglorious
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Jaylon is a proud alumnus of the University of Georgia.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2025
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
There’s no egotistical rock star bullsh**t going on here.—
Quentin Thane Singer,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The Green Mile, with its three-hours-plus run time, might as well be exhibit A for Hollywood’s myriad overlong, self-important Oscar-bait dramas.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Unsurprisingly, the small army of senior executives with make-work jobs and self-important titles, who add little to nothing to build Hearst’s brands, apparently made it through today relatively unscathed.—
Caitlin Huston,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
This is the worst kind of football team: a conceited but objectively mediocre squad.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
The Mercury News,
17 Nov. 2024
-
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
-
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
-
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
“Vainglorious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vainglorious. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share