self-satisfied Hear it!

self-satisfied Definition

self·-satisfied (self′sat′is fīd′)

adjective

feeling or showing an often smug satisfaction with oneself or one's accomplishments

self-satisfied Related Forms

self′·-sat′isfac′tion noun

self-satisfied Synonyms

self-satisfied

modif.

smug, vain, conceited; see egotistic 2.

self-satisfied Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • smile: There, he removed the photograph from the scanner and replaced it in the album with a very self-satisfied smile...
  • grin: Round the corner, ' with a self-satisfied grin.
  • way: This, obviously, is karmic retribution for the self-satisfied way I showed off my new phone to friends at the weekend.
  • smugness: That report, released August 2002, has made quite a dent in the self-satisfied smugness of the Royal Society.
  • smirk: Crenshaw had the self-satisfied smirk of a man who knew he was in power, and enjoyed watching his subordinates cringe.
  • churchgoer: Certainly in Laodicea the church was full of self-satisfied churchgoers.

Modifying Another Word

  • too: You are too self-satisfied to realize Satan has got you.
  • rather: The above suggests sticking with the status quo, a rather self-satisfied solution.
  • very: There, he removed the photograph from the scanner and replaced it in the album with a very self-satisfied smile...

Used with adjective complement

  • feel: Moral talk rarely has much effect upon its audience, because its real purpose is to make the speaker feel even more self-satisfied.
  • look: And the stupid bloody feline just sat there and looked excessively self-satisfied.