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
Examples 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 smug
Will the next Pope be the traditionalist Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), the progressive Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), the smug Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), or the reluctant Lawrence himself who is keen on resigning his post when all this is done?
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 2 Sep. 2024
There’s the imperious Cardinal Tremblay (a smug and quivering John Lithgow), who was the last person to see the Holy Father before his death, and seems to be hiding a gospel’s worth of alternate truths under his robes.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2024
He is recruited by the FBI (represented by a smug bureaucrat and an inept field agent) to infiltrate and bring down the Brotherhood, a violent white-supremacist biker gang.
—Helaine Williams, arkansasonline.com, 10 Aug. 2024
Yes, some people facing hardship can nonetheless be intolerably smug.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smug 
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 2 Sep. 2024
There’s the imperious Cardinal Tremblay (a smug and quivering John Lithgow), who was the last person to see the Holy Father before his death, and seems to be hiding a gospel’s worth of alternate truths under his robes.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2024
He is recruited by the FBI (represented by a smug bureaucrat and an inept field agent) to infiltrate and bring down the Brotherhood, a violent white-supremacist biker gang.
—Helaine Williams, arkansasonline.com, 10 Aug. 2024
Yes, some people facing hardship can nonetheless be intolerably smug.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
-
Manji will appear as Crispin, an arrogant, pompous employee at a fancy, high-end hardware store who snubs George.Katie Campione, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2024
-
My 21-year-old grandson is a dramatic and arrogant know-it-all.Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
It’s populated largely by white people, most of whom are grouped off into tidy nuclear families.Dan Sheehan, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
-
The Carpenters’ workplace is a white suburban home that looks as if ripped straight out of a slasher — but here, tucked in a tidy warehouse of festival awards and memorabilia, the killer is already inside.Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Gregory is touched by the compliment and proud of his ability to connect with a student, but Darnell isn’t pleased with the idea of another man forming a bond with his son.Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Honorees who have contributed to proud and authentic Jewish storytelling will include: Sheryl Sandberg’s Screams before Silence, Netflix’s Fauda and Jewish Matchmaking, FX’s The Patient, Amazon’s Destination NBA: A G League Odyssey, and David Baddiel’s documentary, Jews Don’t Count.Marc Berman, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
In a way, this meme draws together disparate threads that have impacted the political discourse over the last few days into one neat package.Callum Booth, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
-
International politics are too complicated for neat binaries.Daniel DePetris, Twin Cities, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
From this noble, if admittedly egotistical goal, come gaslighting, madness, war, self-mutilation, and murder.James Grebey, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
-
Pharrell Williams’s egotistical fantasy Talent is not always original.Armond White, National Review, 11 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Body color or two-tone roofs — black or white, depending on trim level — are available.Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 17 Oct. 2024
-
Photographs show a boyish, handsomely dressed man with laughing eyes and a trim little mustache, sitting at his desk or standing by the seashore with his daughter.Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
This reward is coming in from the universe to remind you that all of your inner work has not been done in vain.Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2024
-
The ability to articulate the struggle for decent food became another vain virtue signal.Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
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
-
Not to sound so conceited and absolute.Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 May 2022
Thesaurus Entries Near smug
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share