Synonyms of smug
81 similar words
Another word for smug is self-satisfied. Other synonyms of smug are complacent, pompous, sanctimonious, gloaty and self-important.
Synonyms and similar words for smug
adjectiveIrritatingly pleased with oneself; offensively self-complacent, self-satisfied.
- complacentUncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements; smug.
- gloatyCharacterized by or resembling gloating.
- self-satisfiedSatisfied with oneself, especially over-satisfied; smug; slightly arrogant.
- airy
- arrogantHaving excessive pride in oneself, often with contempt or disrespect for others.
- chesty informal
- authoritarian
- biggityConceited, uppity.
- big-headed slang
- blustery
- turgescent formalBecoming turgid or swollen.
- boastfulTending to boast or brag.
- lordly
- bombastic
- cockyOverly confident; arrogant and boastful.
- conceited
- disdainfulShowing contempt or scorn; having a pronounced lack of concern for others viewed as unworthy.
- domineeringOverbearing, dictatorial or authoritarian.
- egotistical
- entitled
- flauntingThat flaunts; showy or gaudy.
- full of oneselfEgotistical, believing oneself to be superior to others; preoccupied with one's own work, interests, point of view, etc.
- grandiose
- hankty
- haughtyConveying in demeanour the assumption of superiority; disdainful, supercilious.
- high-handedUsing power or authority without proper consideration for the feelings or rights of others.
- high-hat colloquialDisdainful; haughty.
- high and mighty
- highfalutin colloquialSelf-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical.
- hoity-toity colloquial
- holier-than-thouHypocritically or self-righteously pious; sanctimonious; smugly morally superior.
- hubristicOf or relating to hubris (“excessive arrogance or pride, or presumption”); hence, overly arrogant or proud, or...
- hubristicalHubristic.
- imperious
- inflated
- insolent
- la-di-da
- ostentatious
- overbearingOverly bossy, domineering, arrogant, forceful, intense, or annoying.
- overweening
- pompousAffectedly grand, solemn or self-important.
- presumptuousMaking unwarranted presumptions or assumptions, often out of arrogance or excessive self-confidence, and thus exceeding...
- pretentious
- priggishLike a prig.
- puffed up
- sanctimoniousMaking a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically pious.
- self-importantHaving, or behaving as if having, too high an opinion of one's own importance.
- snobbish slangHaving the property of being a snob; arrogant and pretentious; smugly superior or dismissive of perceived inferiors.
- snooty slang
- snotty slang
- stout
- stuck up slang
- superciliousArrogantly superior; showing contemptuous indifference; haughty.
- thrasonicThrasonical.
- thrasonicalBoastful, bragging, vainglorious.
- toplofticalHaughty, hoity-toity, superior.
- toploftySelf-important, haughty.
- tumid
- turgid
- uppish
- uppity
- uppySynonym of uppity.
- upstage
- vain
- buggish dialectal, obsolete
- flatulent obsolete
- glorious obsolete
- haught obsoleteHaughty.
- haut obsolete
- orgulous archaic, literary
adjectiveStudiously neat or nice, especially in dress; spruce; affectedly precise; smooth and prim.
- affectedSimulated in order to impress.
- overrefinedRefined to an excessive degree.
- effeteAffected, overrefined.
- feyOverrefined, affected.
- recherché
- pansified derogatoryOverly adorned; affected.
- precious derogatory
- stagyUnnaturally showy.
- stilted figurativelyElevated or raised in a contrived or unnatural way; stiff and artificially formal or pompous; also, depending on...
- theatricalFake and exaggerated.
- WoosterianFoppish and affected.
Meaning of smug
- adjective Irritatingly pleased with oneself; offensively self-complacent, self-satisfied.
- adjective Showing smugness; showing self-complacency, self-satisfaction.
- adjective Studiously neat or nice, especially in dress; spruce; affectedly precise; smooth and prim.
smug in other languages
Questions about synonyms of smug
- What is another word for smug?
- Smug has 81 synonyms on Word.ws, such as self-satisfied, complacent, pompous, sanctimonious, gloaty, self-important, high-handed and arrogant.
- What does smug mean?
- Smug means irritatingly pleased with oneself; offensively self-complacent, self-satisfied.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: smug (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of smug.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/smug. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.