supercilious

[ soo-per-sil-ee-uhs ]

adjective

1. haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.

   Synonyms: scornful, arrogant

   Antonyms: humble

supercilious

/ ˌsuːpəˈsɪlɪəs /

adjective

1. displaying arrogant pride, scorn, or indifference

Derived Forms

• ˌsuperˈciliousness, noun
• ˌsuperˈciliously, adverb

Other Words From

• super·cili·ous·ly adverb
• super·cili·ous·ness noun
• unsu·per·cili·ous adjective
• unsu·per·cili·ous·ly adverb
• unsu·per·cili·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of supercilious¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin superciliōsus; supercilium, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of supercilious¹

C16: from Latin superciliōsus, from supercilium eyebrow; see superciliary

Example Sentences

The supercilious elder sisters preened.

From Los Angeles Times

From Chaucer’s supercilious Madame Eglantine in “The Canterbury Tales,” with her spoiled lap dogs and secular French airs, to Ryan Murphy’s ruthless Sister Jude in 2012’s “American Horror Story: Asylum,” a woman who wears a red negligee under her habit and is not above indulging in some communion wine, fictional portrayals of nuns have long captured and confounded the imagination.

From New York Times

Even FOX News has called out the Republicans for their supercilious stupidity.

From Salon

But I have to say it's very fitting that a supercilious centrist group like No Labels would deliver the death blow to American democracy.

From Salon

It's very fitting that a supercilious centrist group like No Labels would deliver the death blow to American democracy.

From Salon