as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
the sense of smugness that can come with too many easy victories
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smugness
Noun
-
Accessibility and Sustainability Mii amo features one ADA-compliant 400-square-foot Casita, complete with a king-size bed, a roll-in shower, a tub with a permanent seat, and an accessible double vanity.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Travel + Leisure,
26 July 2025 -
Distinctive elements: White oak vanity; brass fixtures; quartz countertops; Asian wallpaper.—
Lennie Omalza,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
Such braggadocio is just more evidence of a narcissistic ego.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 July 2025
-
True allyship requires checking one's ego at the door, prioritizing what's right over being right, and humbly learning from others.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Leo season says to take pride in your accomplishments and put them on display.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
-
In the final episode of The Cosby Show, Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable is beaming with pride—his only son is graduating college.—
Mychal Denzel Smith,
Time,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
Putin’s arrogance in wanting total Ukrainian surrender could prove his downfall, if only Trump sticks to his position.—
Daniel Fried,
Time,
15 July 2025
-
The arrogance wasn’t hers alone; many people have tried to assign the Tully monster a place in the tree of life since it was first discovered 70 years ago.—
Cody Cottier,
Discover Magazine,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Success, while desirable, can breed complacency and even a sense of entitlement, thus diluting urgency.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
-
History shows voters punish complacency when lawmakers ignore the mandate that sent them to Washington.—
Erick Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
Trump himself personifies stupidity’s essential feature — self-satisfaction, an inability to recognize the flaws in your thinking.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Just as there’s no dramatic build-up to Maria landing the part, there’s no romance to the process of acting it, nor the slightest whiff of self-satisfaction in recreating iconic scenes.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
21 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Smugness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smugness. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share