orgulous

[ awr-gyuh-luhs, ‑guh‑ ]

adjective

1. Archaic. haughty; proud.

orgulous

/ ˈɔːɡjʊləs /

adjective

1. archaic.
   proud

Other Words From

• orgu·lous·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of orgulous¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English orguillous, orguilleus, from Old French orgueillos, equivalent to orgueil “pride” (earlier orgoil, from unattested Germanic urgōlī; compare Old High German urguol “outstanding,” Old English orgol “pride”) + -os adjective suffix ( -ous )

Word History and Origins

Origin of orgulous¹

C13: from Old French, from orgueil pride, from Frankish urgōli (unattested)

More About Orgulous

What does orgulous mean?

Orgulous is an adjective meaning proud or haughty (arrogantly snobby).

Orgulous is an archaic term, meaning it’s very rarely used anymore. You’re more likely to encounter it in older literary works than in everyday conversation. It was used by William Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, and James Joyce, for example.

Example: These orgulous aristocrats wouldn’t dare to be seen mingling with commoners.

Where does orgulous come from?

Orgulous was borrowed from the Old French orgueillos, an equivalent of orgueil, meaning “pride,” combined with the suffix -ous, meaning “full of.”

Orgulous is recorded in English around 1200–50. It was in somewhat regular usage until the 1600s, when Shakespeare used it (just once) in his tragedy Troilus and Cressida: “The princes orgulous, their high blood chafed” (sounds like some serious haughtiness). After that, it fell out of use until writers in the 1800s—notably Robert Southey and Sir Walter Scott—began including it to invoke an archaic quality in their language. Its use increased after that, and James Joyce even pulled it out in his 1922 masterpiece Ulysses.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of orgulous?

• orgulously (adverb)

What are some synonyms for orgulous?

• pompous
• self-important
• arrogant

How is orgulous used in real life?

Because orgulous is best known for its use in olden literary works, people using it today often try to mimic that style for humorous effect.

Why thou orgulous, dull-pated, scruffye-lookinge herder of nerfs!

— Chaucer Doth Tweet (@LeVostreGC) December 23, 2016

@SorinaHiggins
I hope I am not such an "orgulous knyghte and full of vylony and not worthe of prowesse of my dedes" as to assign my OWN essay, you understand, but I do look forward to making use of the #InklingsAndArthur for my C.S. Lewis class come Fall! pic.twitter.com/GrHSfgQBWh

— Ben Utter doesn't want to Zoom. (@liberapertus) April 20, 2018

Pincy’s word of the day: orgulous
Proud.
“I wish I were orgulous when I wore costumes, but I’m not.” pic.twitter.com/8Yf8Kewir3

— Pincy Cat (@PincyCat) August 14, 2018

 

 

Try using orgulous!

Which of the words below is the opposite of orgulous?

A. haughty
B. humble
C. smug
D. proud