Meaning & use

smug

adjective·Academic

Showing excessive pride or satisfaction with oneself in a way that annoys others.

See it in a sentence

He gave a smug grin after winning the argument in front of everyone.

Her smug tone made it clear she had expected to be right all along.

A note on using this word

Smug always has a negative connotation, unlike 'confident' or 'proud', which can be positive.

Words with a similar meaning

self-satisfiedconceited

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

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