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
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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
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Oliver then suddenly appeared with a smug look on his face.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Saxon, for instance, is filling the same spoiled, arrogant space as Jake Lacy’s Shane from Season One.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2025
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From director James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark), who co-wrote the script with Eli Kent, The Rule of Jenny Pen centers on arrogant judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush), who has to live in a retirement home after a near-fatal stroke leaves him partially paralyzed.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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By drawing from his Mexican and Irish American roots, as well as his life as a proud gay man, Chavarria flaunts his progressive principles while creating new and novel experiences on the runway.—
Cat Cardenas,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2025
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Er, well, for the dozens of proud Vision Pro owners.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Alas, her forceful efforts are in vain, and the purple team wins, crushing Team Grant Slam 18 to 2.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
4 Feb. 2025
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The people of that town responded immediately to try to rescue the 70 souls on board; however, their efforts were in vain.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 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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Against the devoted coalition of evangelical Christians, neocons, pompous billionaires and MAGA Republicans who now dominate the other side of the aisle, this prevaricating has failed to muster enthusiasm for the Democratic Party or much of the industry’s own product.—
Matt Brennan,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2025
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Do Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones play real people in 'The Brutalist?’ The film kicks into high gear with the introduction of Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce), a pompous patriarch and industrialist who commissions Tóth to design an elaborate community center.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
18 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 Feb. 2025.
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