haughty

[ haw-tee ]

adjective

, haugh·ti·er, haugh·ti·est.

1. disdainfully proud; scornfully arrogant; snobbish; supercilious: a haughty salesclerk.

   haughty aristocrats;

   a haughty salesclerk.

   Synonyms: contemptuous, disdainful, lordly

   Antonyms: unassuming, unpretentious, humble

2. Archaic. lofty or noble; exalted.

haughty

/ ˈhɔːtɪ /

adjective

1. having or showing arrogance
2. archaic.
   noble or exalted

Derived Forms

• ˈhaughtily, adverb
• ˈhaughtiness, noun

Other Words From

• haugh·ti·ly adverb
• haugh·ti·ness noun
• o·ver·haugh·ti·ly adverb
• o·ver·haugh·ty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of haughty¹

First recorded in 1520–30; obsolete haught (spelling variant of late Middle English haute, from Middle French, from Latin altus “high,” with h-, from Germanic; compare Old High German hok “high”) + -y ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of haughty¹

C16: from Old French haut, literally: lofty, from Latin altus high

Synonym Study

See proud.

Example Sentences

I hope a bankruptcy doesn’t mean the end of those yellow-and-black planes next to haughty Delta and United jets.

From Slate

Scott Thomas worked frequently with Smith, and with her ability to deliver a devastating line with a raised eyebrow and a haughty expression she may be Smith’s most obvious successor, a comparison Scott Thomas finds “beyond complimentary.”

From Los Angeles Times

Back in 2022, the Padres won this series in four games against a haughty Dodgers team that lacked intensity.

From Los Angeles Times

Mahira Kakkar portrays Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester, with a haughty determination that turns desperate once Margaret asserts dominance in the court.

From Los Angeles Times

Putin — known for sometimes staging haughty keep-them-waiting displays when other leaders make the trek to the Kremlin — has taken a notably deferential tone toward his host.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cavalier
• contemptuous
• imperious
• indifferent
• snobbish
• snooty