supercilious

American  

[soo-per-sil-ee-uhs] / ˌsu pərˈsɪl i əs /

adjective

1. haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.

   Synonyms:

   scornful, arrogant

   Antonyms:

   humble

---

supercilious British  

/ ˌsuːpəˈsɪlɪəs /

adjective

1. displaying arrogant pride, scorn, or indifference

---

Other Word Forms

• superciliously
  adverb
• superciliousness
  noun
• unsupercilious
  adjective
• unsuperciliously
  adverb
• unsuperciliousness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of supercilious

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin superciliōsus; see supercilium, -ous

Explanation

Supercilious people think very highly of themselves, more highly than of others. If your sister tends to act snobby and superior, you can describe her as supercilious. You might expect Nobel Prize winners to be supercilious — after all, they've reached the very heights of their profession. But one-on-one, your famous physics professor might be humble and fun to talk to, anything but supercilious. Most often, it's people who have no right to be arrogant, rude, and holier-than-thou who behave in the most supercilious ways. The Latin root supercilium means "haughty demeanor," but also "eyebrow" — as in an eyebrow raised in a haughty, supercilious expression.

Example Sentences

Most memorable is the exit of Pozzo and Lucky that finds Pozzo slowly pushing Lucky in his wheelchair—illustrating the idea that there remains a bedrock of humanity even in this supercilious boor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 29, 2025

But they are united in their certainty that their decisions, not the gripes of some supercilious state legislators, are the law of the land.

From Slate • Sep. 5, 2023

LB has few prospects — and certainly is not interested in pompous developer Darcy Wong, who is as supercilious as he is wealthy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2023

Mr. Grint plays Julian, the baby’s supercilious uncle.

From New York Times • Mar. 11, 2022

There it was again, that mysterious smile, sad and supercilious at the same time.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke