as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a vainglorious woman who always insists on being the center of attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vainglorious
Daemon, Viserys’s vainglorious younger brother, had married his niece in part as a way to strengthen his own bid for the throne, and Alicent had pushed for the ascension of her immature firstborn, Aegon.
—
Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
Debuting March 3, the six-part realpolitik satire, created and executive produced by Succession alum Will Tracy, sees Oscar and Emmy winner Winslet return to HBO in an often hilarious role as the vainglorious Elena.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 June 2024
Boyle plays Booth as both vainglorious and self-pitying.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Having become frivolous, vainglorious, and suicidal, the Republican Party is on the verge of super-gluing itself to its risible liability of a perma-candidate for the eighth year in a row.
—Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for vainglorious
Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
Debuting March 3, the six-part realpolitik satire, created and executive produced by Succession alum Will Tracy, sees Oscar and Emmy winner Winslet return to HBO in an often hilarious role as the vainglorious Elena.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 June 2024
Boyle plays Booth as both vainglorious and self-pitying.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Having become frivolous, vainglorious, and suicidal, the Republican Party is on the verge of super-gluing itself to its risible liability of a perma-candidate for the eighth year in a row.
—Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for vainglorious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vainglorious
Adjective
-
Twenty-three years of a smug, smarmy host, and a bunch of sportswriters desperate for sound bites and attention.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
-
There’s the divorced couple maintaining their relationship for their children; the happy and occasionally smug monogamist; the man who prefers not to commit; the woman who can’t decide.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
27 May 2025
-
Multiple people described him to me as unpopular and arrogant.—
Amanda Chicago Lewis,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The city has a long and proud history of coming together through difficult times.—
Chloe Mayer
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
-
They were thanked for coming by loyal Canadians, clearly proud of their head of state.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
While the issue was addressed before in vain, Macron hinted that it could be considered this time around.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
23 May 2025
-
Her very intimate use of the camera added by a relentless patience gives the film a meditational feeling that ultimately works beyond mere and vain life philosophy.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Sid Justice, though competent in other matches, is given few opportunities to prove himself as a rising star against the notoriously egotistical Hogan.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
-
And for any fan of the show — and Wilson’s over-the-top, egotistical Dwight — the lyrics might not be a total surprise.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The adults in Moonrise Kingdom are either thoroughly unhappy, in the case of Suzy’s parents (played by Frances McDormand and Bill Murray), or rather delusional, like Sam’s self-important troop master (Edward Norton).—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
-
Matt and his direct reports quickly reveal themselves to be spineless, self-important, thin-skinned, and out of touch.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Adjective
-
This is the worst kind of football team: a conceited but objectively mediocre squad.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
The Mercury News,
17 Nov. 2024
-
Rory Kinnear steals some of the best lines as the conceited British prime minister, and Ato Essandoh, as Kate’s deputy chief, plays the ever-flustered man surrounded by extremely capable women with admirable humor, charm, and confidence.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
The film will follow a pompous food critic (Roth) and the earnest son-of-a-chef (Fernández) who must outcook, outrun, and outwit a ruthless queen-pin (Higareda Howes) in order to save the son’s family restaurant – and themselves.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
7 May 2025
-
Jain didn’t barge onto the scene with the pompous bravado as many others do.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vainglorious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vainglorious. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share