smugger; smuggest
1
: highly self-satisfied
2
: trim or smart in dress : spruce
3
: scrupulously clean, neat, or correct : tidy
smugly
adverb
smugness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of smug in a Sentence
Meanwhile, supporters are smug and righteous that the person who manages the world's leading stock exchange deserves every million.
—
Susan Lee, Wall Street Journal, 10 Sept. 2003
Alice Norcross Pratt, a local stay-at-home mom, is portrayed as smug and pious, yet we also see glimmers of her hidden longings.
—Elizabeth Graver, New York Times Book Review, 27 May 2001
Once, Roy dared shooters to beat him with a shot between his legs. Now, he no longer passes out such smug invitations. The goalie who transformed the butterfly technique into an art form has humbly decided to keep his skates a little closer together …
—Mark Kiszla, ESPN, 28 May 2001
She was tall and beautiful and multilingual and fiercely opinionated. One of her opinions held that the rags that passed for literary magazines on campus were so smug and tame and insular that it was hopeless to even try to reform them; they simply needed to be replaced.
—Tom Perrotta, Joe College, 2000
It's OK to celebrate your success, but try not to be too smug about it.
You can wipe that smug look off your face.
Susan Lee, Wall Street Journal, 10 Sept. 2003
Alice Norcross Pratt, a local stay-at-home mom, is portrayed as smug and pious, yet we also see glimmers of her hidden longings.
—Elizabeth Graver, New York Times Book Review, 27 May 2001
Once, Roy dared shooters to beat him with a shot between his legs. Now, he no longer passes out such smug invitations. The goalie who transformed the butterfly technique into an art form has humbly decided to keep his skates a little closer together …
—Mark Kiszla, ESPN, 28 May 2001
She was tall and beautiful and multilingual and fiercely opinionated. One of her opinions held that the rags that passed for literary magazines on campus were so smug and tame and insular that it was hopeless to even try to reform them; they simply needed to be replaced.
—Tom Perrotta, Joe College, 2000
It's OK to celebrate your success, but try not to be too smug about it.
You can wipe that smug look off your face.
Recent Examples on the Web
In the aftermath of Israel’s targeting of Hamas’ leadership, smug Zionists everywhere are reveling in a massive sense of entitlement.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2024
Or is the therapist’s smug Luddite attitude somehow a threat?
—The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2024
Still, fans of the classics shouldn’t get too smug: The authors and outside experts stressed to The New York Times that simpler melodies don’t necessarily mean simpler music.
—science.org, 5 July 2024
Joe didn’t look smug or bored, which were the reactions these kinds of tangents had historically won me.
—Athena Sobhan, Peoplemag, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for smug 
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2024
Or is the therapist’s smug Luddite attitude somehow a threat?
—The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2024
Still, fans of the classics shouldn’t get too smug: The authors and outside experts stressed to The New York Times that simpler melodies don’t necessarily mean simpler music.
—science.org, 5 July 2024
Joe didn’t look smug or bored, which were the reactions these kinds of tangents had historically won me.
—Athena Sobhan, Peoplemag, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for smug
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near smug
Cite this Entry
“Smug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smug. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smug
adjective
smugger; smuggest
: highly satisfied with oneself : complacent
smugly
adverb
smugness
noun
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