supercilious

[ soo-per-sil-ee-uhs ]

See synonyms for supercilious on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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

Origin of supercilious

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

Other words for supercilious

arrogant, scornful

See synonyms for supercilious on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for supercilious

humble

See antonyms for supercilious on Thesaurus.com

Other words from supercilious

su·per·cil·i·ous·ly, adverb
su·per·cil·i·ous·ness, noun
un·su·per·cil·i·ous, adjective
un·su·per·cil·i·ous·ly, adverb
un·su·per·cil·i·ous·ness, noun

Words Nearby supercilious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use supercilious in a sentence

Too often, it's just our supercilious attitude to this thing called relief.
The Pointlessness of Some Disaster Charity After the Indian Floods | Dilip D’Souza | June 26, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
To point that out, of course, will only strengthen her sense of being persecuted by supercilious elites.
How Palin Flunks Feminism | Michelle Goldberg | November 26, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
Gore comes off as a supercilious grandstander who gets swatted away dismissively by the brilliant Bill Clinton.
The Quiet General Strikes Back | Lloyd Grove | October 15, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
He always kept within certain carefully laid bounds of supercilious politeness.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson Lloyd
She glanced uneasily at Gwynne and fancied she could hear him slam the lid of his breeding upon a supercilious sputter.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton

The instant lift of Florimond's eyebrows was full of insolent, supercilious disdain.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
Would it not have been possible to live in retirement without drawing upon himself the accusation of supercilious hauteur?
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician | Frederick Niecks
English notions of what is becoming don't hold good here; you can't stop a man like Wilkinson with a supercilious look.
The Girl From Keller's | Harold Bindloss

British Dictionary definitions for supercilious

supercilious

/ (ˌsuːpəˈsɪlɪəs) /

adjective

displaying arrogant pride, scorn, or indifference

Origin of supercilious

C16: from Latin superciliōsus, from supercilium eyebrow; see superciliary

Derived forms of supercilious

superciliously, adverb
superciliousness, noun

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

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