ENGLISH
REFERENCE

smug

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈsməɡ// UK //smˈʌɡ// smug Archaic Slang

adj. feeling or showing too much pride in yourself. You act this way when you are very satisfied with your own success and think you are better than others.

adj. exhibiting excessive self-satisfaction or pride in one's achievements or qualities. Often carries a negative connotation of superiority or complacency.


SIMPLE

He had a smug look on his face after winning the game.

CONTEXTUAL

She felt a bit smug when her prediction about the weather turned out to be exactly right.

COMPLEX

The CEO's smug attitude during the press conference alienated many long-term investors who were concerned about the company's declining market share.

Synonyms
Origin

Originally "spruce, neat," from Low German smuk (“pretty”), from Middle Low German smuk (“lithe, delicate, neat, trim”), although the g of the English word is not easily explained. The ultimate source should be Proto-West Germanic *smeugan (“to crawl, creep”). From the Low German derived also North Frisian smok, Danish smuk and Swedish smukk (now obsolete or dialectal). Compare also Middle High German gesmuc (“ornament”) and smücken (“to dress, to adorn”), both ultimately from smiegen (“to press to, insert, wrap, to nestle”), hence German schmiegen, Schmuck and schmücken. The adjective schmuck, however, was borrowed from Low German. See smock for more.

Usage

Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'look', 'feel', or 'seem'.

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