haughtiness

American  

[haw-tee-nis] / ˈhɔ ti nɪs /

noun

1. scornful pride, snobbishness, or arrogance.

   I was accused of having an air of superiority, of haughtiness, of indifference or condescension to others.

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Other Word Forms

• overhaughtiness noun

Etymology

Origin of haughtiness

haughty ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Explanation

If you are shy and have a hard time talking to others, people might wrongly interpret your quietness as haughtiness. Haughtiness is thinking a lot of yourself and not much of others. The word haughtiness originally comes from the Old French adjective haut meaning "high" and later developed to mean having a high estimation of yourself. When you think of the word, imagine a Queen riding by on a horse, chin upturned, not paying any mind to her subjects below. Her Highness might as well be called Her Haughtiness up there.

Example Sentences

He began as a William Morris socialist but quickly became suspicious of any sweeping social panacea, to the point of intellectual haughtiness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

Nick went to Princeton and graduated with all of the Ivy League haughtiness, if not the GPA or success, associated with such a diploma.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2025

Few pleasures make cold cruelty warm the soul quite as well, because few look at the genre with such a knowing blend of appreciation and haughtiness.

From Salon • Jan. 9, 2025

Such haughtiness had its limits: She resigned as president after the palace’s curator quit and 150 volunteers threatened to follow him.

From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2022

Upper-classmen treated their juniors with haughtiness and disdain.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela