Supercilious
/ˌsuːpərˈsɪliəs/noun
Behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others; haughty or disdainful.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin supercilium, which could mean both the eyebrow and a proud, frowning expression, so arrogance was once imagined as a visible facial posture.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“to project, rise, or be prominent”
Latin
Latin
supercilium
“eyebrow; haughty look; superciliousness”
Late Latin
Latin
superciliosus
“full of eyebrows; proud, disdainful”
Middle French
French
supercilieux
“haughty, disdainful”
Late 16th Century
English
supercilious
“haughty, disdainful, contemptuously superior”
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