Distinguishing Haughty from Supercilious

Key Difference – Haughty vs Supercilious

Haughty and supercilious are two adjectives that describe the superior attitude of an individual. Both words have a similar meaning, indicating someone who acts as if they are better, smarter, or more important than others. Although they can often be used interchangeably, there is a slight difference in their definitions:

What Does Haughty Mean?

Haughty refers to a person who is arrogantly superior and disdainful. In other words, such a person believes they are better, smarter, or more important than others and displays an insulting attitude towards them. A haughty person is often overbearing, prideful, disdainful, and obnoxious, and consistently looks down on others.

Examples of haughty in a sentence include:
– The haughty waiter smirked when she mispronounced the name of the French dish.
– He spoke with a tone of haughty disdain.
– She was shy, but many people saw her as a haughty woman.
– She hated socializing with haughty aristocrats.
– He looked at her with an expression of haughty disdain.

What Does Supercilious Mean?

Supercilious is very similar to haughty, referring to a person who behaves or looks as if they think they are superior to others. Supercilious people also believe they are better or more important than others and display a very unpleasant and proud attitude towards them. The word supercilious comes from the Latin supercilium, meaning ‘eyebrow’, which refers to the haughty and prideful facial expressions often associated with superciliousness.

Examples of supercilious in a sentence include:
– He curled his lips in a supercilious smile.
– He is a hateful, supercilious man who never listens to others.
– The supercilious old man refused to have lunch with others.
– Although she is warm and friendly with her family, her co-workers see her as a cold, supercilious woman.