SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
supercilious
adjective
Showing arrogant disdain or an air of superiority.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
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A useful distinction
Alternatives apply to the displayed meaning. Related wording may differ in tone or grammar and is not always interchangeable.
Showing arrogant disdain or an air of superiority
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
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Usage distinction
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CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See supercilious in use
Her supercilious smile discouraged further questions.
The reviewer adopted a supercilious tone toward unfamiliar tastes.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license