8 results for: supercilious

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

su·per·cil·i·ous

Audio Help [soo-per-sil-ee-uh

s] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.

[Origin: 1520–30; < L superciliōsus. See supercilium, -ous

]

—Related forms

su·per·cil·i·ous·ly, adverb

su·per·cil·i·ous·ness, noun

—Synonyms arrogant, scornful.

—Antonyms humble.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
supercilious

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

su·per·cil·i·ous Audio Help (sōō'pər-sĭl'ē-əs) Pronunciation Key
adj. Feeling or showing haughty disdain. See Synonyms at proud.

[Latin superciliōsus, from supercilium, eyebrow, pride : super-, super- + cilium, lower eyelid; see kel-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

su'per·cil'i·ous·ly adv., su'per·cil'i·ous·ness n.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
supercilious

1529, from L. superciliosus "haughty, arrogant," from supercilium "haughty demeanor, pride," lit. "eyebrow" (via notion of raising the eyebrow to express haughtiness), from super "above" (see super-) + cilium "eyelid," related to celare "to cover, hide," from PIE base *kel- "to conceal" (see cell).

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

supercilious
adjective
1.	having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy; "some economists are disdainful of their colleagues in other social disciplines"; "haughty aristocrats"; "his lordly manners were offensive"; "walked with a prideful swagger"; "very sniffy about breaches of etiquette"; "his mother eyed my clothes with a supercilious air"; "a more swaggering mood than usual"- W.L.Shirer [syn: disdainful]
2.	expressive of contempt; "curled his lip in a supercilious smile"; "spoke in a sneering jeering manner"; "makes many a sharp comparison but never a mean or snide one"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
supercilious [suːpəˈsiliəs] adjective

contemptuous or disdainful
Example: a supercilious look

Arabic:	مُتَشامِخ، مُحْتَقِر
Chinese (Simplified):	傲慢的
Chinese (Traditional):	傲慢的
Czech:	pohrdavý
Danish:	overlegen
Dutch:	laatdunkend
Estonian:	põlastav
Finnish:	ylimielinen
French:	hautain, dédaigneux
German:	hochmütig
Greek:	αλαζονικός, υπερφίαλος
Hungarian:	fölényes
Icelandic:	þóttafullur, hrokafullur
Indonesian:	jijik
Italian:	altezzoso

Japanese:	高慢な
Korean:	거만한, 오만한
Latvian:	augstprātīgs; nicīgs
Lithuanian:	paniekinantis, arogantiškas
Norwegian:	hoven, med øyenbrynene hevet
Polish:	wyniosły
Portuguese (Brazil):	desdenhoso
Portuguese (Portugal):	desdenhoso
Romanian:	dispreţuitor
Russian:	презрительный
Slovak:	pohŕdavý
Slovenian:	vzvišen
Spanish:	desdeñoso
Swedish:	högdragen, överlägsen
Turkish:	kibirli

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Supercilious

Su`per*cil"i*a*ry\, a. [L. supercilium an eyebrow. See Supercilious.]

1. Of or pertaining to the eyebrows; supraorbital.

2. (Zo["o]l.) Having a distinct streak of color above the eyes; as, the superciliary woodpecker.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Supercilious

Su`per*cil"i*ous\, a. [L. superciliosus, fr. supercilium an eyebrow, pride; super over, + cilium an eyelid; probably akin to celare to conceal. Cf. Conceal.] Lofty with pride; haughty; dictatorial; overbearing; arrogant; as, a supercilious officer; asupercilious air; supercilious behavior. -- Su`per*cil"i*ous*ly, adv. -- Su`per*cil"i*ous*ness, n.

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