smug

[smuhg]

adjective, smug·ger, smug·gest.

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

Origin of smug

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

Related formssmug·ly, adverbsmug·ness, nounun·smug, adjectiveun·smug·ly, adverbun·smug·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for smugly

Contemporary Examples

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

Historical Examples

"They'll fall faster than any known enemy weapon can track them," he said, smugly.
Minor Detail
John Michael Sharkey
And how smugly, to be sure, would he talk about his children's tutor!
The Red and the Black
Stendhal
When we read about that, as children, we said smugly: "What a fool Paris was!"
Superwomen
Albert Payson Terhune
"October 1st, 2144, is the patent date," said Joe Silver smugly.
The Giants From Outer Space
Geoff St. Reynard
"Used to be a barber in civilian life," the boy said smugly.
Uniform of a Man
Dave Dryfoos

British Dictionary definitions for smugly

smug

adjective smugger or smuggest

excessively self-satisfied or complacent
archaic trim or neat

Derived Formssmugly, adverbsmugness, noun

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for smugly

smug

adj.

1550s, "trim, neat, spruce, smart," possibly an alteration of Low German smuk "trim, neat," from Middle Low German smücken "to adorn" (originally "to dress," secondary sense of words meaning "to creep or slip into"), from the same source as smock. The meaning "having a self-satisfied air" is from 1701, an extension of the sense of "smooth, sleek" (1580s), which was commonly used of attractive women and girls. Related: Smugly; smugness.

smug

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}smug

Examples from the Web for smugly

Contemporary Examples

So says Thomas Hobbes, whose definition of all laughter illuminates those moments when we smugly parade past the shrunken giants.

Historical Examples

"They'll fall faster than any known enemy weapon can track them," he said, smugly.

And how smugly, to be sure, would he talk about his children's tutor!

When we read about that, as children, we said smugly: "What a fool Paris was!"

"October 1st, 2144, is the patent date," said Joe Silver smugly.

"Used to be a barber in civilian life," the boy said smugly.

smug

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for smugly

smug

adj.

Origin of smug