Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Exhibiting or feeling great or offensive satisfaction with oneself or with one's situation; self-righteously complacent: "the smug look of a toad breakfasting on fat marsh flies” ( William Pearson).
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Smooth; sleek; neat; trim; spruce; fine: also, affectedly proper; unctuous; especially, affectedly nice in dress; satisfied with one's own appearance; hence, self-satisfied in any respect.
- Affectedly or conceitedly smart.
- n. One who is affectedly proper and nice; a self-satisfied person.
- To make smug or spruce: often with up.
- To confiscate summarily, as boys used to confiscate tops, marbles, etc., when the game was played out of season.
- To hush up.
- n. A smith.
Wiktionary
- adj. Irritatingly pleased with oneself; self-satisfied.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Studiously neat or nice, especially in dress; spruce; affectedly precise; smooth and prim.
- v. To make smug, or spruce.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
Etymologies
- Perhaps akin to Low German smuck, neat, from Middle Low German, from smucken, to adorn.
Examples
“The same may be said of ‘sconce’, in this sense at least; of ‘nowl’ or ‘noll’, which Wiclif uses; of ‘slops’ for trousers (Marlowe’s _Lucan_); of ‘cocksure’ (Rogers), of ‘smug’, which once meant no more than adorned (“the _smug_ bridegroom”, Shakespeare).”
“There it will lay, because while smug is annoying, it's not THAT big a deal.”
“But smug is smug, and what can I say – I like to call out the smug at times.”
“Every time Mr. Gogan saw me smile at a customer, he seemed so pleased with himself I worried that his face might freeze in an expression of smug exhilaration.”
“The kind old world spins on, and the bourgeois masters clip their coupons in smug complacency.”
“You are right that we are in a phoney war now though and being to smug is probably not a good idea”
“I saw the footage of the guy leaving court and yes he smiled, long hard and in smug self congratulatory way and i trust my ability to read body language sufficiently to be satisfied about my opinions.”
“People will call for my ouster, yet I will remain smug and defiant that I will turn it around because my track record speaks for itself.”
“They were, should I use the word smug, sacrosanct.”
“Chaminade leaned back in his chair, his expression smug although his round belly appeared afflicted with a curiously rhythmic inner motion.”
Decision at Doona
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘smug’.
-
GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
-
emordnilap
reviled, loot, no, ta, rat, part, pit, stop, spat, ten, mad, mart and 108 more...
-
moshe's list
prelapsarian, ear-rent, fusty, fray, foible, smug, abeyance, misandry, inkhorn, incarnate, argot
-
mots justes
No true synonyms, no other word will do.
dysphemism, nyehre, conflate, onomatopœic, galumph, zeitgeist, mercenary, theomeny, git, snarky, sass, smarmy and 43 more...
-
onomatopoeic
warble, quibble, quirk, drudgery, chortle, snicker, galumph, thwart, schlock, whimsy, garble, miffed and 25 more...
-
Words Stephenie Meyer Overuses
A collection of words author Stephenie Meyer overuses and abuses in her 'Twilight' series of young adult vampire fiction. Every time you read one of these words in her books, you will GRIMACE and C...
chagrin, grimace, chuckle, smirk, whispered, lope, scintillating, marble, topaz, smoldering, smolder, perfect and 30 more...
yarb A Range Rover stopped outside our door
in a smug Shropshire village;
out steps our local Councillor,
first-class shit.
- Peter Reading, Eclogue, from Tom O' Bedlam's Beauties, 1981 Jun 28, 2008
oroboros Gums in reverse. Nov 2, 2007
reesetee Oh, classic. Sep 27, 2007
uselessness The pollution of self-righteous arrogance. As seen on Facebook:
"Do you care about your enviroment????? Everytime you give a hippie credit he releases smug into the atmosphere!"
"If I'm not mistaken you can only release smug by driving a hybrid vehicle."
"and living in san francisco"
"And attending a George Clooney speach" Sep 27, 2007