smell one's own farts

verb

To become conceited; to believe that one's achievements are greater than they really are.

“These ivory-tower bureaucrats have been sitting in an echo chamber for months now, smelling their own farts, not realizing these ham-fisted policies really aren't working.”

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Meanings

verbsmell one's own farts (third-person singular simple present smells one's own farts, present participle smelling one's own farts, simple past and past participle smelled one's own farts)

present singular third person smells one's own farts · participle present smelling one's own farts · participle past smelled one's own farts · past smelled one's own farts · alternative sniff one's own farts

  1. idiomaticTo become conceited; to believe that one's achievements are greater than they really are.

    These ivory-tower bureaucrats have been sitting in an echo chamber for months now, smelling their own farts, not realizing these ham-fisted policies really aren't working.

Origin

Named after the fact that one is liable to become acclimatized to, or even come to like, the smell of one's own farts, whilst still recognizing others' as foul. The acclimatization is likened to becoming out-of-touch with the reality of one's mediocrity.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

smell one's own farts. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smell%20one's%20own%20farts

MLA

“smell one's own farts.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smell%20one's%20own%20farts. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “smell one's own farts,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smell%20one's%20own%20farts.

Source: smell one's own farts on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.