arrogant
adjective
Synonyms
- assumptive
- bumptious
- cavalier
- chesty
- haughty
- highfalutin
- hifalutin
- high-and-mighty
- high-handed
- high-hat
- huffish
- huffy
- imperious
- important
- lofty
- lordly
- masterful
- overweening
- peremptory
- pompous
- presuming
- presumptuous
- pretentious
- self-asserting
- self-assertive
- sniffy
- stiff-necked
- supercilious
- superior
- toplofty
- toploftical
- uppish
- uppity
Example Sentences
Alex Beam, New York Times Book Review, 10 June 2007 Arrogant execs are not the only targets of investors' ire. … There's no telling how much money analysts such as Meeker cost investors with their interminable buy recommendations on Internet stocks that eventually went bust. Marcia Vickers et al., Business Week, 25 Feb. 2002 Despite her social and business status in Washington, Graham remained unassuming and down to earth. Her quiet but steady courage affirmed women such as Geneva Overhosler, a former editor and Post ombudsman, by showing a woman could be powerful without being arrogant. Mark Fitzgerald et al., Editor & Publisher, 23 July 2001 Shakespeare must have known that while his audiences loved to see villains punished and arrogant young men humbled, they did not want to fidget and squirm through mea culpas before the final scene. Elaine Showalter, Civilization, April/May 1999 She's first in her class, but she's not arrogant about it. the arrogant young lawyer elbowed his way to the head of the line of customers, declaring that he was too busy to wait like everybody else See More Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Tesla issued a humbling apology last year after a driver at an auto show publicly blamed Tesla brakes for an accident, after which China’s top legal-affairs agency chimed in, calling the company arrogant. Kim Mackrael, WSJ, 10 May 2022 And those who think it’s crazy, or arrogant, at first, usually will come around. Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Aug. 2022 On some level, Luke had perceived the failure of the Jedi, their recourse to dogmatism and arrogant all-knowingness, and sought to break the pattern. Wired, 14 July 2022 After years of experimentation, brilliant but arrogant scientist Sebastian Caine has discovered a way to make matter invisible. Travis Bean, Forbes, 1 July 2022 The charismatic — and arrogant — Charles has agreed to the interview only if Cecily makes the climb all the way to the top with him and his team. Sun Sentinel, 25 May 2022 This is Cruise at his most Cruise-iest, coiled, sure and arrogant, teeth gleaming in the sunshine. Mark Kennedy, Chron, 12 May 2022 Narrow-minded, rigid, short-sighted, arrogant and narcissistic leaders are the opposite of conscious leaders. Albana Vrioni, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Middle English arrogant, arragaunt, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin arrogant-, arrogans "insolent, overbearing, presumptuous," from present participle of arrogāre "to lay claim to, claim to possess, be conceited" — more at arrogate
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
arrogant
adjective
arrogant
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- cavalier
- domineering
- superior
- supercilious
- haughty
- smug
- dominant
- important
- bumptious
- pompous
- pretentious
- uppity
- presumptuous
- authoritarian
- masterful
- imperious
- assumptive
- dominating
- sniffy
- presuming
- patronizing
- high-and-mighty
- uppish
- huffy
- high-handed
- boastful
- chesty
- condescending
- proud
- self-assertive
- overweening
- impudent
- bossy
- conceited
- toplofty
- cocky
- snobbish
- huffish
- peremptory
- lordly
- hifalutin
- highfalutin
- snobby
- disdainful
- stiff-necked
- snooty
- lofty
- egocentric
- narcissistic
- vain
- self-asserting
- vainglorious
- hubristic
- egotistical
- prideful
- toploftical
- braggart
- egotistic
- swaggering
- bombastic
- high-hat
- pontificating
- bragging
- saucy
- egoistic
- impertinent
- blusterous
- complacent
- pontifical
- egoistical
- magisterial
- self-centered
- stuck-up
- self-conceited
- braggy
- blustery
- uninhibited
- brash
- self-satisfied
- immodest
- extroverted
- self-complacent
- self-promoting
- self-flattering
- self-loving
- self-pleased
- unreserved
- self-affected
- extraverted
- self-applauding
- orgulous
- forward
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- humble
- timid
- modest
- lowly
- unpretentious
- bashful
- sheepish
- diffident
- shy
- passive
- introverted
- subdued
- meek
- demure
- deferential
- submissive
- unassertive
- mousy
- unassuming
- shrinking
- unarrogant
- acquiescent
- unaggressive
- compliant
- unobtrusive
- quiet
- self-doubting
- self-critical
- cringing
- mousey
- cowering
- yielding
- overmodest
- reserved
- retiring
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of arrogant are disdainful, haughty, insolent, lordly, overbearing, proud, and supercilious. While all these words mean "showing scorn for inferiors," arrogant implies a claiming for oneself of more consideration or importance than is warranted.
The synonyms disdainful and arrogant are sometimes interchangeable, but disdainful suggests a more active and openly scornful superciliousness.
The words haughty and arrogant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, haughty suggests a consciousness of superior birth or position.
The words insolent and arrogant can be used in similar contexts, but insolent implies contemptuous haughtiness.
The meanings of lordly and arrogant largely overlap; however, lordly implies pomposity or an arrogant display of power.
While the synonyms overbearing and arrogant are close in meaning, overbearing suggests a tyrannical manner or an intolerable insolence.
In some situations, the words proud and arrogant are roughly equivalent. However, proud may suggest an assumed superiority or loftiness.
While in some cases nearly identical to arrogant, supercilious implies a cool, patronizing haughtiness.