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
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smug
Everyone’s relationship has, yes, seasons, and each couple weathers a few different ones during the show, with smug closeness eroding into terse bitterness, doting affection into resentful frustration.
—
Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Dissections of power and masculinity that once bristled with adversarial vitality evolved into arid dialectics and windy anecdotes pickled in smug cynicism and lacking in thematic clarity.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025
What’s more important than the why, though, is the pattern Dark Winds uses these characters to establish: of the corrupted nature of the U.S. government and the smug untouchability of its allies and actors.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
The washers contain a large haul of cocaine, which Mia and Charlie are tasked with delivering to the Chinatown hangout of smug young local Triad boss Tsui Fong (Jeremy Ang Jones) to square up a debt.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Dissections of power and masculinity that once bristled with adversarial vitality evolved into arid dialectics and windy anecdotes pickled in smug cynicism and lacking in thematic clarity.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025
What’s more important than the why, though, is the pattern Dark Winds uses these characters to establish: of the corrupted nature of the U.S. government and the smug untouchability of its allies and actors.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
The washers contain a large haul of cocaine, which Mia and Charlie are tasked with delivering to the Chinatown hangout of smug young local Triad boss Tsui Fong (Jeremy Ang Jones) to square up a debt.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smug
Adjective
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Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
27 May 2025
-
Multiple people described him to me as unpopular and arrogant.—
Amanda Chicago Lewis,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Below, shop 12 space-saving storage solutions that keep pots and pans, water bottles, snacks, and more tidy, including deals up to 61 percent off.—
Rachel Trujillo,
People.com,
4 June 2025
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Keep tidy Dressing sharply doesn’t have to be expensive, says Post Senning, as long as your attire fits your office environment and your body.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
1 June 2025
Adjective
-
The city has a long and proud history of coming together through difficult times.—
Chloe Mayer
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
-
They were thanked for coming by loyal Canadians, clearly proud of their head of state.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Front Runner has a deep, long-running catalog of overland products, but possibly its most visible and ubiquitous is its lineup of square Wolf Pack Pro boxes that stack and secure together to make dry storage as neat, secure and space-efficient as possible.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 June 2025
-
Beating the best that Europe had to offer in the Champions League was a neat riposte.—
Phil Hay
June 2,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Sid Justice, though competent in other matches, is given few opportunities to prove himself as a rising star against the notoriously egotistical Hogan.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
-
And for any fan of the show — and Wilson’s over-the-top, egotistical Dwight — the lyrics might not be a total surprise.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Front and rear parking sensors, a heated steering wheel, leather upholstery and paddle shifters highlight the trim level.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
18 May 2025
-
There are six trim levels in total and the pricing is as follows: LX: $28,690 (starting MSRP) EX: $30,490 (starting MSRP) SX: $34,290 (starting MSRP) SX Prestige: $36,290 (starting MSRP) X-Line: $32,990 (starting MSRP) X-Pro Prestige: $39,590 (starting MSRP) Need a break?—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
Yet rather than call a tow truck, the Steelers are revving the engine in the hopes their tires don’t spin in vain but find a little grip amid all that mud.—
Will Graves,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 June 2025
-
Arena, like the adjacent club called Circus, was established by a couple of gay and Latino entrepreneurs as open-to-everyone party spaces — a radical departure during an era when discos were defined more by the vulgar discrimination of velvet ropes and vain bouncers policing entry.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smug. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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