smug

[ smuhg ]
/ smʌg /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR smug ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, smug·ger, smug·gest.

contentedly confident of one's ability, superiority, or correctness; complacent.
trim; spruce; smooth; sleek.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of smug

1545–55; perhaps < Middle Dutch smuc neat, pretty, nice

OTHER WORDS FROM smug

Words nearby smug

smtp, smudge, smudge pot, smudging, smudgy, smug, smuggery, smuggle, smur, smurfing, smush
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to smug

complacent, egotistical, pompous, self-righteous, self-satisfied, conceited, holier-than-thou, priggish, snobbish, stuck-up, stuffy, superior, vainglorious, egoistic, puffed-up, hotshot

Example sentences from the Web for smug

British Dictionary definitions for smug

smug
/ (smʌɡ) /

adjective smugger or smuggest

excessively self-satisfied or complacent
archaic trim or neat

Derived forms of smug

smugly, adverbsmugness, noun

Word Origin for smug

C16: of Germanic origin; compare Low German smuck neat
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012