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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of vainglorious
Saudi Arabia has, after all, seen the axis of resistance’s vainglorious and quixotic movie before.
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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
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João Franco Photo: Bravo/Mark Rogers/Bravo Deckhand/Bosun Below Deck Mediterranean Seasons 3-4 — 2nd Officer/Bosun Below Deck Down Under Season 2 — Why can’t someone knock the smug look off of this deckie turned bosun’s face?Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
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But the second half becomes increasingly generic conspiracy stuff, leading to a two-part conclusion that’s more smug and sanctimonious than the preceding action can justify.Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald return as love interest Virginia Venit and arrogant rival Shooter McGavin, respectively, and the cast includes rookies like Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce and pro wrestler Maxwell Jacob Friedman.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025
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Those include genial second-year resident Dr. King (Taylor Dearden), arrogant intern Santos (Isa Briones), and doe-eyed med students Javadi (Shabana Azeez) and Whittaker (Gerran Howell).Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The proud dad, 40, and his oldest child made history in October 2024 by becoming the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA.Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025
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Ben Stiller, the director, executive producer, and a key creative force behind the show, is certainly too famous to show up at this pop-up, let alone stand outside of it among the people, snapping photos on his smartphone like a proud dad at his kid's dance recital.Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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While the palace guards congratulate and pet Weasel and treat him as a hero for saving the country, Nina’s death is pointless and in vain.Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 9 Jan. 2025
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Any suggestion that the disaster — which has already killed two people, destroyed about 1,000 structures and caused 70,000 people to be placed under an evacuation order — would lead to a moment of national unity was in vain.Niall Stanage, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This was my chance to not be an actor, not have that stink of being an actor, that egotistical, show-off, controlling, making choices, being clever part of being an actor.Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
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The film, which centers on a group of egotistical actors making a Vietnam War movie, grossed nearly $200 million worldwide and picked up an Oscar nomination for supporting actor thanks to Robert Downey Jr.Zack Sharf, Variety, 26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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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
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Finally, someone is standing up and holding the fat, middle-aged White reporter accountable, and there’s nobody in the world that dislikes it less to be held accountable than the fat, middle-aged, White, self-important columnist at a newspaper.Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 28 Aug. 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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Stan would’ve played Joe Alwyn’s role, Harry Lee Van Buren, the pompous son of Guy Pearce’s moneyed industrialist who exploits Adrien Brody’s Jewish-Hungarian architect.Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2025
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What began earlier in Iannucci’s career as simply skewering pompous politicians has matured into an examination of what happens when leaders with feet of mud let their egos make decisions that will change the lives of millions.Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near vainglorious
Cite this Entry
“Vainglorious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vainglorious. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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