haughty
gb/hˈɔti/ us/hˈɔti/
C1
English
~ 25300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
formal
C1
property
1
proud in a cold, contemptuous way
Behaving as if you are better than other people and looking down on them.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is haughty (toward [someone])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "haughty" with "naughty" because they look similar, but "naughty" usually describes bad or misbehaving children, while "haughty" describes a proud, unfriendly attitude. Learners may also think "haughty" is a neutral or positive kind of pride; in fact, it almost always has a negative meaning and often appears in written or literary English rather than in everyday speech.
Synonyms
arrogant (More general and common; can be less visibly cold than haughty.)
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snobbish (Focuses on looking down on people seen as lower class or less cultured.)
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conceited (Emphasizes being too proud of oneself; not always as cold or distant as haughty.)
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supercilious (Very close in meaning; a formal word for showing proud contempt.)
Antonyms
humble (Describes someone who does not think they are better than others.)
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modest (Emphasizes not bragging about oneself and not acting superior.)
Collocations
haughty look
|haughty tone
|haughty manner
|haughty smile
|haughty expression
|cold and haughty
Themes
emotions
|character
|social
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She gave the waiter a haughty look and refused to say thank you.
- His haughty tone during the meeting offended several of his colleagues.
- The nobles were described as distant and haughty toward the villagers.
- He was too haughty to admit that he had made a mistake.
- The actress had a reputation for being charming in public but haughty in private.
Learner examples
- The rich woman spoke in a haughty voice.
- He is too haughty to listen to other people.
- She looked at me with a haughty smile.
- People do not like her because she is haughty.
- The boss sounded haughty when he talked to the new workers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
haughty
IPA
GB/hˈɔti/
US/hˈɔti/
Syllables & stress
haughty (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (haughty)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: haughty
- Comparative: haughtier
- Superlative: haughtiest
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.