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smugly

smugly

8 6.0
In a proud way that shows you think you are better than others
  • adverb
  • /smʌɡli/
translation icon : con arrogancia
  • I looked at my mom and stated smugly, "Bet you want this jacket now, eh?"

Because we on the left love smugly dunking on dumb ideas, right?

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Examples

  • She smiled smugly after winning the debate, feeling proud of her victory.

  • "Nope," he said smugly, "but at least I cared enough to do the necessary research."

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I mean, I really think of myself quite smugly.

  • "Any relationship he had himself," he said, smiling smugly, "was of course appropriate."

    Fiction book (1999)
  • How would he feel, she wondered smugly, when he found out?

    Fiction book (1991)
  • And you can sit here and smugly lecture me on the importance of tests?

  • Four hours, eighteen minutes, he thought smugly, just two minutes shy of my estimate.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Some physicists might now smugly say of course they were correct because it's just physics.

  • You have your plans arranged so smugly, and they don't mean a thing.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The next day, Dudek returned, and they smugly presented their handiwork.

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

arrogantly
vssmugly
8 4.8

In a way that shows someone thinks they are better than other people

is gentler, showing satisfaction rather than clear superiority over others
haughtily
vssmugly
2 6.6

Behave in a proud, unfriendly way to show you feel better than others

is more about inner smug pleasure than outward cold superiority
complacently
vssmugly
1 7.0

In a way that shows you are too pleased with yourself and do not notice danger

is more about feeling pleased with oneself than unaware safety
pompously
vssmugly
1 7.7

In a proud, showy way to seem more important than others

is less about grand formality and more about private self-satisfaction
narcissistically
vssmugly
1 8.5

In a way that shows too much pride and a need for attention

is less about self-obsession and more about pleased self-view
egotistically
vssmugly
1 7.7

In a way that shows someone thinks they are better than other people

places more weight on contented self-regard than on self-focus
pridefully
vssmugly
1 6.6

In a way that shows you feel better than others

leans toward private satisfaction rather than proud public showing
conceitedly
vssmugly
7.2

Acting as if you are better than other people

is more about quiet self-satisfaction than proud skill display
self-conceitedly
vssmugly
9.2

In a proud way that shows you think you are better than others

focuses more on feeling pleased with oneself than constant self-focus
overweeningly
vssmugly
  • Formal
9.9

To act in a very proud way that ignores other people

expresses milder self-satisfaction rather than grand overconfidence
hubristically
vssmugly
  • Formal
9.7

In a way that shows too much pride in yourself

carries less risk and is mainly about feeling pleased with self
gloatingly
vssmugly
7.9

In a way that shows pleasure when someone else fails or has trouble

is broader, showing self-satisfaction not limited to others' misfortune
vaingloriously
vssmugly
  • Literature
9.3

In a way that shows too much pride in what you have done or how you look

is more inwardly pleased rather than loudly celebrating achievements
vauntingly
vssmugly
  • Archaic
9.9

Talking about things you did to show you are proud

is quieter self-satisfaction rather than overt boasting
superciliously
vssmugly
9.2

In a way that shows you feel better than other people

centers on satisfied self-importance rather than contemptuous superiority
uppishly
vssmugly
  • Informal
9.8

Behaving as if you are better than other people

is more about feeling pleased with oneself than social snobbery
swaggeringly
vssmugly
8.1

In a proud, showy way to get attention

is quieter satisfaction rather than flashy attention-seeking behaviour

Antonyms

28 3.1

In a simple, not showy way

How Self-Satisfied

arrogantly
8 4.8
smugly
8 6.0
proudly
143 1.0
contentedly
8 3.2

Surface Forms

smugly positive

Morphology

smugly = smug (transparent) = smug + ly

The adverb is a straightforward formation from the adjective 'smug' with the productive adverbial suffix '-ly', preserving the expected meaning.

Etymology

Smugly comes from smug, which once meant 'neat' or 'well-dressed'. Imagine someone so tidy and proud they give a small, pleased smile; that's why smugly means acting in a 'self-satisfied' way.