as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a self-important businessman who believed his schedule mattered more than anyone else's
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-important
His cruel caricature of the technocratic, self-important, and sometimes petty bureaucratic culture of the commission is largely accurate.
—
Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
So many of the latter comes thanks to Niecy Nash’s Nurse DiDi, who seems to take the time to see her patients as worthwhile much more often than her cohorts, the self-important Dr. Jenna James (Laurie Metcalf) and pitiful nurse Dawn (Alex Borstein).
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
The Green Mile, with its three-hours-plus run time, might as well be exhibit A for Hollywood’s myriad overlong, self-important Oscar-bait dramas.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Unsurprisingly, the small army of senior executives with make-work jobs and self-important titles, who add little to nothing to build Hearst’s brands, apparently made it through today relatively unscathed.
—Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for self-important
Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
So many of the latter comes thanks to Niecy Nash’s Nurse DiDi, who seems to take the time to see her patients as worthwhile much more often than her cohorts, the self-important Dr. Jenna James (Laurie Metcalf) and pitiful nurse Dawn (Alex Borstein).
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
The Green Mile, with its three-hours-plus run time, might as well be exhibit A for Hollywood’s myriad overlong, self-important Oscar-bait dramas.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Unsurprisingly, the small army of senior executives with make-work jobs and self-important titles, who add little to nothing to build Hearst’s brands, apparently made it through today relatively unscathed.
—Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for self-important
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-important
Adjective
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In Superman, Bennett steps into the shoes of Steve Lombard, the Daily Planet's smug sports reporter.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 June 2025
-
One of Ferrell’s biggest and best movies was this hilarious racing spoof, which followed the rise and fall and rise of a smug champion racer, his complicated friendship with best pal and fellow racer John C. Reilly, and his rivalry with an effete, snotty Frenchman played by Sacha Baron Cohen.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
In 2022, Ackles joined the cast of Prime Video's The Boys as arrogant superhero Soldier Boy.—
Brianne Tracy,
People.com,
4 July 2025
-
Her larger-than-life ego and past as a shaman make Player 044 come off as arrogant and selfish, getting under just about everyone's skin.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
Such an obvious way to exhibit his egotistical personality.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
22 June 2025
-
Responding to questions from defense lawyer Teny Geragos, Jane agreed that Combs became more apologetic and attentive, less egotistical and cold.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
In the post, the proud single mom shared throwback photos of her with her eldest son and daughter.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
Old Fitzgerald, the once proud brand with a century-long legacy, was tossed into the Bernheim sale like an extra trading card between kids to sweeten the deal, not to headline it.—
Chris Perugini,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Some waved flags, some rode on shoulders and, over the noise, dozens tried in vain to call back home where the sun was just rising.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
-
Since then, other Dohn administrators have tried in vain to clean up the 24-year-old school's financial mess and support its 1,600 students.—
Madeline Mitchell,
The Enquirer,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Here, too, in the Airfix models and the vainglorious LP collection is the solitary self-curation of the only child—the kid who can’t dash from his bedroom to a sibling’s, model or record in hand.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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Donald Trump’s vainglorious birthday parade masquerading as a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army may get drenched in a rainy DC this Flag Day, but the financial sun is shining a bit brighter for some suffering Hollywood vendors.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
14 June 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
-
And more than any other animal, cats represented to her its moral antithesis: lazy, pompous, interested only in themselves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 June 2025
-
At 11:30, as the simultaneously pompous and obsequious gate agent announces the passengers above gold status, the bit, already tilting toward insanity, leaves any attempt to portray a real airport behind and dives fully into Alice in Wonderland–level surrealism.—
John Roy,
Vulture,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-important.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-important. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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