haughty
Americanadjective
-
disdainfully proud; scornfully arrogant; snobbish; supercilious: a haughty salesclerk.
haughty aristocrats;
a haughty salesclerk.
- Synonyms:
- contemptuous, disdainful, lordly
- Antonyms:
- unassuming, unpretentious, humble
-
Archaic. lofty or noble; exalted.
adjective
-
having or showing arrogance
-
archaic noble or exalted
Related Words
See proud.
Other Word Forms
- haughtily adverb
- haughtiness noun
- overhaughtily adverb
- overhaughty adjective
Etymology
Origin of haughty
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
Explanation
Someone who is haughty is arrogant and full of pride. When you're haughty, you have a big attitude and act like you're better than other people. A haughty person acts superior and looks down on others. Haughty people are disdainful, overbearing, prideful, swaggering, and obnoxious. Acting amazed that others haven't heard of a hot new band is haughty. Speaking in a cocky or superior way is haughty. The word even sounds a little like its meaning: it's hard to say haughty without sounding like you have an attitude. If you're acting like others are beneath you, you're being haughty.
Vocabulary lists containing haughty
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List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By then, she’d put her knack for winking impressions of high society divas to stunning use in “Beetlejuice” as Delia Deetz, a haughty stepmother and artist whose gargantuan ego dwarfs her talent.
From Salon • Feb. 4, 2026
Her haughty line deliveries and imperious bone structure cut through the screen like a knife.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026
Her one condition, delivered in the haughty tone of an offended aristocrat, was that they sign a note guaranteeing repayment for the damage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025
Marie-France has always denied this and, at the stand, came across as haughty and frequently defiant in the face of the accusations levelled at her.
From BBC • Mar. 1, 2025
Harry supposed that she was beautiful, with her waist-length hair and floor-length cloak, but she also looked haughty and proud.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
