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Synonyms

smug

American  
[smuhg] / smʌg /

adjective

smugger, smuggest

  1. contentedly confident of one's ability, superiority, or correctness; complacent.

  2. trim; spruce; smooth; sleek.

smug British  
/ smʌɡ /

adjective

  1. excessively self-satisfied or complacent

  2. archaic trim or 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

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”

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.

Mr. Powell, smirking and smug, tells his life story to a visiting priest who drops by his cell for a last conversation.

From The Wall Street Journal

Chica looked as smug as a green turtle can look, and didn’t seem to mind at all.

From Literature

I look to Camille, expecting a smug I told you so, but her face is white.

From Literature

The boy felt a little smug about that.

From Literature

He tried to look smug, but I could see he was nervous.

From Literature

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.