smugly

[ smuhg-lee ]

/ ˈsmʌg li /

Save This Word!

adverb

in a way that is contentedly confident of one’s ability, superiority, or correctness; in a self-satisfied or complacent way: I think I'm just as good as lots of those people who are sitting so smugly in judgment over me.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of smugly

smug + -ly

OTHER WORDS FROM smugly

un·smug·ly, adverb

Words nearby smugly

smudging, smudgy, smug, smuggery, smuggle, smugly, smur, smurfing, smush, smut, smutch

How to use smugly in a sentence

It happened when, having become smugly satisfied with my rendering of Mickey Mouse, I turned to Donald Duck.
There’s Nothing Wrong—and a Lot That’s Right—About Copying Other Artists|Malcolm Jones|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Detective smugly retorts, “You were saying something about procedures?”
Fall-Winter TV Preview: Snap Judgments of 2013–14’s New Shows|Jace Lacob, Kevin Fallon|July 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
So says Thomas Hobbes, whose definition of all laughter illuminates those moments when we smugly parade past the shrunken giants.
GOP Primaries Provide a Feast for Our Schadenfreude Appetite|Eric G. Wilson|January 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I cannot drive away smugly from these gates with the simple feelings of a woman who has been paying a mere visit—I cannot!
The Gay Lord Quex|Arthur W. Pinero

Done nothing but succeed smugly in keeping myself in comfort outside the modern economic treadmill!
The Squirrel-Cage|Dorothy Canfield
He was feeling extremely gentle toward Nina those days and rather smugly virtuous.
The Breaking Point|Mary Roberts Rinehart
The cook drew himself up in a smugly humble fashion, a deprecating smirk on his face.
The Sea-Wolf|Jack London
They smugly argue from the known to the unknown on entirely false premises.
Ireland as It Is|Robert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)