LESSON 3 THE HIGH AND MIGHTY Words Relating

LESSON 3: THE HIGH AND MIGHTY Words Relating to Feeling Superior

Arrogant • Brian arrogantly assumed that he would be named the starting quarterback. Adjective Overbearing; proud; haughty • The arrogant businessman refused to listen to the suggestions of his coworkers.

Braggart • John is a braggart; he loves to tell me how much money he makes. Noun One who boasts a great deal • The shortstop bragged about the diving catch he made to save the game.

Complacent • Soldiers on guard duty cannot afford to become complacent. Adjective Self-satisfied; smug • Business executives sometimes fall into complacency after many years of success.

Contemptuous • The dictator was contemptuous of any dissent from his followers. Adjective Lacking respect; scornful • My boss is very contemptuous; he talked on his cell phone during my entire presentation.

Disdainful • The rich man laughed disdainfully at the poor orphan. Adjective Full of bitter scorn and pride; aloof • The college professor looked with disdain on the students who did not catch on immediately.

Egotistical • The egotistical student was shocked when he received a “D” on his term paper. Adjective Excessively selfabsorbed; very conceited • Anna is one of the most egotistical girls I know; she can’t stop talking about herself.

Haughty • The movie star’s haughty dismissal of her co-stars will come back to hurt hrt. Adjective Having great pride in oneself and dislike for others • The artist looked haughtily down her nose at people who did not understand her work.

Insolent • Sally’s mother punished her severely for her insolence. Adjective Boldly disrespectful in speech or behavior; rude • The student’s flip answer to the teacher’s serious question was very insolent.

Narcissistic Adjective Having to do with extreme self-adoration and feeling of superiority to everyone • My narcissistic sister can’t stop looking at herself in the mirror. • Josh is such a narcissist; he keeps a comb in his pocket at all times.

Ostentatious Adjective Having to do with showing off; pretentious • Larry displayed many books in his bookcase ostentatiously, but he hardly read any of them. • The speaker was extremely ostentatious; he repeatedly banged his fist on the table to make his point.

Presumptuous Adjective Too forward or bold; overstepping proper bounds • I hope you won’t think I’m being presumptuous if I offer you some advice. • The houseguest presumptuously sat down on the sofa and put his feet up on the table.

Pretentious Adjective Claiming or pretending increased importance; ostentatious; affectedly grand • The pretentious man repeatedly mentioned how many books he had read. • The prep school student writes her essays very pretentiously.

Supercilious Adjective Looking down on others; proud and scornful • The supercilious aristocrat looked down on her maid. • Some American tourists are supercilious, and don’t respect the customs of the countries they visit.

Swagger Verb To walk around in a proud, showy manner; to boast in a loud manner • After her promotion, Denise couldn’t help but swagger down the hall to tell her coworkers the news. • Brad Pitt strolled down the red carpet with an exaggerated swagger.