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
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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.
Following last Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Coventry City, captain Granit Xhaka questioned the team's "courage", weeks after France defender Nordi Mukiele claimed the side had become "arrogant".
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
We are an arrogant species, frustrated by our humble place in this ecosystem.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
Either way, McDonagh reasons that the guy who once judged his plays superior to others’ remains his own toughest critic: “When you set the bar for your arrogant self, it’s probably a lot higher.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
In fact, it’s so in love with its flawed protagonist that it can’t see he’s the least compelling character in the movie, an ambitious, arrogant, grasping, unscrupulous man we’ve met countless times before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
“Very well, my arrogant young adventurer. Why not test your courage? Every explorer deserves a chance to prove his mettle.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
