Smug

Literaryselfpsychology

Etymology

From a Low German or Dutch word (smuk) meaning "neat, trim, sleek." Early English "smug" meant well-groomed and spruce — pleasingly tidy. The sense curdled: from looking neatly pleased with one’s appearance, it came to mean being obnoxiously pleased with oneself in general.

  1. adjective · /SMUG/

    Excessively pleased with oneself in a self-satisfied, self-righteous way.

    What it names

    The insufferable contentment of someone who is quietly certain they are right and want you to notice.

    Example

    She wore a smug little smile all through the meeting, having predicted this outcome weeks earlier.

    Related idea

    Complacent is a lazy, dangerous contentment that stops trying; smug is contentment worn on the face, a self-satisfaction that irritates others.

See also

BackpfeifengesichtComplacentConceitSanctimoniousSanctimony