supercilious

WOTD – 21 March 2007    

English

Etymology

From Latin superciliōsus (“haughty”), from supercilium (“eyebrow, arrogance”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˌsuː.pə(ɹ)ˈsɪ.li.əs/, /ˌsjuː.pə(ɹ)ˈsɪ.li.əs/, X-SAMPA: /%su:.p@.(r\)"sI.li.@s/, /%sju:.p@(r\)"sI.li.@s/
• (US) IPA: /ˌsuːpɚˈsɪliəs/, X-SAMPA: /%sU:p@`"sIli@s/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪliəs

Adjective

supercilious (comparative more supercilious, superlative most supercilious)

1. Arrogantly superior; showing contemptuous indifference; haughty.
   • 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Chapter I

     Now he was a sturdy, straw haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:arrogant

Translations

haughty

• Armenian:

  Old Armenian: հպարտ (hpart), սէգ (sēg)

• Bulgarian: арогантен (bg) (arogánten)
• Dutch: hooghartig (nl), denigrerend (nl), hautain (nl)
• French: hautain (fr)
• German: arrogant (de), hochmütig (de), hochnäsig (de), anmaßend (de), herablassend (de)
• Greek: υπεροπτικός (el) (yperoptikós)
• Ido: superba (io)

• Italian: altezzoso (it), sdegnoso (it)
• Latin: superbus (la), superciliōsus (la)
• Norwegian: hovmodig (no)
• Russian: надменный (ru) (nadm'énnyj), высокомерный (ru) (vysokom'érnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: àrdanach (gd)
• Spanish: altivo (es)