self-satisfied

American  

[self-sat-is-fahyd, self-] / ˈsɛlfˈsæt ɪsˌfaɪd, ˌsɛlf- /

adjective

1. feeling or showing satisfaction with oneself.

   Synonyms:

   puffed-up, vain, smug, complacent

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self-satisfied British  

adjective

1. having or showing a complacent satisfaction with oneself, one's own actions, behaviour, etc

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Other Word Forms

• self-satisfaction noun

Etymology

Origin of self-satisfied

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

And Calder Gardens, for all the undoubted talent and imagination it displays, sadly turns its back on its Parkway context with a self-satisfied aloofness.

From The Wall Street Journal

He’s self-satisfied and loves to have people fawn over him, but his star is still nascent enough for Oliver to retain some naivete.

From Salon

Some scenes are so natural as to seem improvised; others employ heavy tactics — an assaultive sound design, flash cuts — to evoke the pressure Amanda is under, from both the self-satisfied authorities and a hectoring press.

From Los Angeles Times

Look at that self-satisfied smile on his face.

From Los Angeles Times

My sermon — which I would deliver sloppily in the smoking section at parties, annoyingly self-satisfied and convinced that I had figured it all out — became this: If you’re cool now, you’re cool forever.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• arrogant
• smug