supercilious
4
8.9
- adjective
- /ˌsuːpərˈsɪliəs/
:
soberbio
- The manager's supercilious behavior towards his employees created a tense and uncomfortable work environment.
Examples
-
The models had looked down on him with cool, amused, supercilious eyes.
Fiction book (1991) -
Oh, you've suddenly adopted a supercilious tone of voice.
-
But he let me know with his face and his tone of voice and his supercilious attitude.
-
The look he gave me would serve perfectly as an illustration of the word supercilious.
Fiction book (1997) -
Don't be supercilious with your mother.
-
JP starts back a little, a small expression of anxiety on his normally supercilious face.
Fiction book (1992) -
The man, in a dinner jacket, has a stern but florid face; his wife has a supercilious bearing.
Fiction book (1992) -
Latham had intended to be coolly supercilious, but the sight of them revised the emotional possibilities.
Fiction book (1990) -
Dapper and supercilious, he perfunctorily offered me a one-sentence prescription.
Fiction book (2000) -
Her expression at first struck him as sheer pretense, a facsimile of the fashion model's bored and supercilious pout.
Fiction book (2001)
Synonyms
260
4.5
Behaving as if you are more important or better than other people
85
5.2
A person who feels too pleased with themselves in a way that annoys others
65
7.4
Acting as if you are better than other people
26
7.5
Saying mocking or hurtful things in a quiet indirect way
24
5.4
Thinking you are much better than other people
24
6.6
Seeing yourself as much more important than other people
16
7.4
Acting as if you are better than other people
16
7.8
Acting as if you are better than other people
16
6.3
A person who thinks they are better than other people and looks down on them
14
8.1
Acting proud and looking down on other people
8
8.4
Acting like you are better than others and expecting them to obey you
8
7.0
Showing that you think someone or something is not worth respect
8
6.1
Feeling or acting as if you are better than other people
7
5.3
Acting like you are better than other people because of their money or clothes
2
9.8
Too much pride and confidence that makes people dislike you
1
8.4
Being too proud and too sure of yourself so you ignore advice and make bad decisions
1
7.2
Thinking you are more important than other people
1
9.9
Too confident and rude in a way that annoys other people
1
8.5
Acting as if you are better than other people
1
8.0
Acting very proud and treating others as unimportant
1
5.9
Showing dislike and no respect in the face or voice
Acting like you are better than other people
Thinking you are better than other people
Antonyms
How Arrogant
Surface Forms
Morphology
supercilious = super + cilium + ous
Although built from elements equivalent to 'super' + a root + '-ous', the meaning 'haughty' is not directly derivable by an average B1 learner from these parts.
Etymology
Supercilious comes from Latin parts super- 'above' and cilium 'eyebrow', and it gives the image of someone raising an eyebrow at others. That's why supercilious means acting like you are better than other people.