smug

comparative smugger · superlative smuggest

1. Irritatingly pleased with oneself; offensively self-complacent, self-satisfied.

   Kate looked extremely smug this morning.

   Synonyms: complacent, gloaty, self-satisfied, airy, arrogant, chesty, authoritarian, biggity

2. Showing smugness; showing self-complacency, self-satisfaction.

   a smug look on her face

3. obsoleteStudiously neat or nice, especially in dress; spruce; affectedly precise; smooth and prim.

   They be so smug and smooth.

   1556, Raphe Robynson, More’s Utopia: The English Translation thereof

   2 more examples

   the smug and scanty draperies of his style

   1828, Thomas De Quincey, “Elements of Rhetoric”, in Blackwood's Magazine

   A young, smug, handsome holiness has no fellow.

   c. 1621, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Pilgrim”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii

   Synonyms: affected, overrefined, affected, effete, fey, recherché, hoity-toity, overrefined

present singular third person smugs · participle present smugging · participle past smugged · past smugged

1. obsoletetransitiveTo make smug, or spruce.

   Thus said, he smug'd his beard, and stroked up fair.

   1612, Michael Drayton, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for M[athew] Lownes; I[ohn] Browne; I[ohn] Helme; I[ohn] Busbie, →OCLC

2. intransitiveto adopt an offensively self-complacent expression.

   1 more example

   1899 Ambrose Bierce: Fantastic Fables. Hearing a sound of strife, a Christian in the Orient asked his Dragoman the cause of it. "The Buddhists are cutting Mohammedan throats," the Dragoman replied, with oriental composure. "I did not know," remarked the Christian, with scientific interest, "that that would make so much noise." "The Mohammedans are cutting Buddhist throats, too," added the Dragoman. "It is astonishing," mused the Christian, "how violent and how general are religious animosities. Everywhere in the world the devotees of each local faith abhor the devotees of every other, and abstain from murder only so long as they dare not commit it. And the strangest thing about it is that all religions are erroneous and mischievous excepting mine. Mine, thank God, is true and benign." So saying he visibly smugged and went off to telegraph for a brigade of cutthroats to protect Christian interests.

3. obsoleteslangtransitiveTo seize; to confiscate.
4. obsoleteslangtransitiveTo hush up.

1. obsoleteuncountableThe smuggling trade.

   Have not they some term by which they distinguish the illicit trade? — They usually call it the Smug-pigeon.

   1830, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on the East India Company, Report ... China Trade (page 397)

   1 more example

   The smug-boats have been called centipedes by the Europeans, on account of the great number of oars, with which, like legs, they walk the water.

   1838, Charles Toogood Downing, The Stranger in China, page 66