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 disdainfulhaughtyimperiouslordlyoverbearingpridefulsniffysuperciliousswaggering