haughtiness

American  

[haw-tee-nis] / ˈhɔ ti nɪs /

noun

1. scornful pride, snobbishness, or arrogance.

   I was accused of having an air of superiority, of haughtiness, of indifference or condescension to others.

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Other Word Forms

• overhaughtiness noun

Etymology

Origin of haughtiness

haughty ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Explanation

If you are shy and have a hard time talking to others, people might wrongly interpret your quietness as haughtiness. Haughtiness is thinking a lot of yourself and not much of others. The word haughtiness originally comes from the Old French adjective haut meaning "high" and later developed to mean having a high estimation of yourself. When you think of the word, imagine a Queen riding by on a horse, chin upturned, not paying any mind to her subjects below. Her Highness might as well be called Her Haughtiness up there.

Example Sentences

He began as a William Morris socialist but quickly became suspicious of any sweeping social panacea, to the point of intellectual haughtiness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

Consider the haughtiness of her unforgettable dowager in “Gosford Park” set against the character’s dire financial straits.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024

Macron has crystallised anger with a series of faux pas and cutting remarks over the past six years that have left a lasting impression of haughtiness among the general public.

From Reuters • Apr. 28, 2023

However, Bonne Maman doesn't come with the haughtiness that is sometimes associated with French fine dining; it's literally marketed as the kind of food that would be made by a grandmother in a French farmhouse.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2023

“Would you please help me get out of this thing?” she asks, all traces of haughtiness gone.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland