arrogant
Americanadjective
-
making claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights; overbearingly assuming; insolently proud.
an arrogant public official.
- Synonyms:
- brazen, imperious, haughty, presumptuous
- Antonyms:
- meek
-
characterized by or proceeding from arrogance, or a sense of superiority, self-importance, or entitlement.
arrogant claims.
adjective
Synonym Usage
See proud.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of arrogant
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin arrogant-, stem of arrogāns ) “presuming,” present participle of arrogāre; see arrogate, -ant
Explanation
Arrogant is an adjective for describing people who are too proud and look down on others, like supermodels who think their good looks give them a right to do whatever they want. Arrogant derives from Latin arrogare "to claim," and the idea is that someone is claiming credit or advantages that they are not entitled to. It's close in meaning to haughty and supercilious, but both of those have connotations of coolness and perceived superiority that arrogant does not. An aristocrat could be called all three, but a customs official or traffic cop is more likely to be called arrogant than the other terms.
Vocabulary lists containing arrogant
Ghost
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 7
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
More Negative Words to Describe a Person
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Former Republic of Ireland international Glenn Whelan was player coach at Bristol Rovers, and vividly remembering the impact the confident "but never arrogant" Anderson made in the west country.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
Vance speaks of an "arrogant desire to rise above others" sparked by being a "poor kid" who was "desperate to make it."
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
Mr. Reynor, who recently had a thankless starring role in “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” is back on track as this arrogant but talented backstage maestro.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
However, many thought Tilson Thomas too brash and arrogant to lead an orchestra, and, around the same time, Tilson Thomas fell in with New York’s disco-hopping crowd.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
Beside him was Sirius, carelessly handsome, his slightly arrogant face so much younger and happier than Harry had ever seen it alive.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
