smugger; smuggest
1
: highly self-satisfied
2
: trim or smart in dress : spruce
3
: scrupulously clean, neat, or correct : tidy
smugly
adverb
smugness
noun
Examples of smug in a Sentence
Meanwhile, supporters are smug and righteous that the person who manages the world's leading stock exchange deserves every million.
—
Susan Lee, Wall Street Journal, 10 Sept. 2003
Alice Norcross Pratt, a local stay-at-home mom, is portrayed as smug and pious, yet we also see glimmers of her hidden longings.
—Elizabeth Graver, New York Times Book Review, 27 May 2001
Once, Roy dared shooters to beat him with a shot between his legs. Now, he no longer passes out such smug invitations. The goalie who transformed the butterfly technique into an art form has humbly decided to keep his skates a little closer together …
—Mark Kiszla, ESPN, 28 May 2001
She was tall and beautiful and multilingual and fiercely opinionated. One of her opinions held that the rags that passed for literary magazines on campus were so smug and tame and insular that it was hopeless to even try to reform them; they simply needed to be replaced.
—Tom Perrotta, Joe College, 2000
It's OK to celebrate your success, but try not to be too smug about it.
You can wipe that smug look off your face.
Susan Lee, Wall Street Journal, 10 Sept. 2003
Alice Norcross Pratt, a local stay-at-home mom, is portrayed as smug and pious, yet we also see glimmers of her hidden longings.
—Elizabeth Graver, New York Times Book Review, 27 May 2001
Once, Roy dared shooters to beat him with a shot between his legs. Now, he no longer passes out such smug invitations. The goalie who transformed the butterfly technique into an art form has humbly decided to keep his skates a little closer together …
—Mark Kiszla, ESPN, 28 May 2001
She was tall and beautiful and multilingual and fiercely opinionated. One of her opinions held that the rags that passed for literary magazines on campus were so smug and tame and insular that it was hopeless to even try to reform them; they simply needed to be replaced.
—Tom Perrotta, Joe College, 2000
It's OK to celebrate your success, but try not to be too smug about it.
You can wipe that smug look off your face.
Recent Examples on the Web
In a comedic twist, the Labrador retriever was filmed turning back to his owner during the drive, with a smug look on his face as if to boast about his comfortable spot.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
The letter writer’s smug verbiage may play well in one-party Maryland, but nationally, Americans seek a more collaborative, less agitational approach to political dialogue and reject arrogant, elitist insults spouted by some Democrats.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2025
To Jost’s great credit, none of it would work without his willingness to stand there and serve as a punching bag, something that previous smug anchors, such as Dennis Miller, would have never allowed.
—Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 17 May 2025
Twenty-three years of a smug, smarmy host, and a bunch of sportswriters desperate for sound bites and attention.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
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Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
The letter writer’s smug verbiage may play well in one-party Maryland, but nationally, Americans seek a more collaborative, less agitational approach to political dialogue and reject arrogant, elitist insults spouted by some Democrats.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2025
To Jost’s great credit, none of it would work without his willingness to stand there and serve as a punching bag, something that previous smug anchors, such as Dennis Miller, would have never allowed.
—Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 17 May 2025
Twenty-three years of a smug, smarmy host, and a bunch of sportswriters desperate for sound bites and attention.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smug. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smug
adjective
smugger; smuggest
: highly satisfied with oneself : complacent
smugly
adverb
smugness
noun
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