smug
Americanadjective
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contentedly confident of one's ability, superiority, or correctness; complacent.
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trim; spruce; smooth; sleek.
adjective
-
excessively self-satisfied or complacent
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archaic trim or neat
Other Word Forms
- smugly adverb
- smugness noun
- unsmug adjective
- unsmugness noun
Etymology
Origin of smug
First recorded in 1545–55; perhaps from Middle Dutch smuc “neat, pretty, nice”
Explanation
A smug person is self-satisfied. You can usually recognize someone who is pleased with himself by his smug little smile and self-righteous remarks. Smug is the opposite of modest and unsure. In cartoons, the smug character often walks around with his chest puffed out and his ego leading the way. “Too much good fortune can make you smug and unaware,” thought Rachel Field, the children’s author. What she means is that successes are appreciated much more when they don't come so often that you begin to feel entitled to them.
Vocabulary lists containing smug
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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List 7
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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.
They’re insincere and elitist and out of touch and smug in many respects, from the perspective of a young man.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
Volker Beck, president of the German-Israeli Society, labelled Steinmeier's comments on the war "grossly inappropriate" and said they displayed a "smug know-it-all attitude".
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
Ask anyone else in Raub about Hainan's quest, and your question will be swatted away with a smug comeback: they are still no match for Malaysian durians.
From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026
Less smug but still rather inscrutable, he sips on tea and evades answering Arisu’s question directly, instead turning the tables.
From Salon • Sep. 26, 2025
Brer hopped back a step with a smug expression on his face.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
