superciliousness

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su·per·cil·i·ous

(so͞o′pər-sĭl′ē-əs)

adj.

Feeling or showing haughty disdain. See Synonyms at arrogant.

[Latin superciliōsus, from supercilium, eyebrow, pride : super-, super- + cilium, lower eyelid; see kel- in Indo-European roots.]

su′per·cil′i·ous·ly adv.

su′per·cil′i·ous·ness n.

Word History: The English word supercilious ultimately derives from the Latin word supercilium, "eyebrow." Supercilium came to mean "the eyebrow as used in frowning and expressing sternness, gravity, or haughtiness." From there it developed the senses "stern looks, severity, haughty demeanor, pride." The derived Latin adjective superciliōsus meant "full of stern or disapproving looks, censorious, haughty, disdainful," as it has since it entered English as supercilious in the 1500s. The super- in the Latin word supercilium means "above," and cilium was the Latin word for "eyelid." In many of the Romance languages, this word developed into the word for "eyelash." This development is probably reflected in the scientific use in English of the word cilium, whose plural is cilia. Cilia are the minute hairlike appendages of cells or unicellular organisms that move in unison in order to bring about the movement of the cell or of the surrounding medium.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Noun

superciliousness - the trait of displaying arrogance by patronizing those considered inferior

condescension, disdainfulness

arrogance, haughtiness, hauteur, high-handedness, lordliness - overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors

superciliousness

noun

The quality of being arrogant:

arrogance, haughtiness, hauteur, insolence, loftiness, lordliness, overbearingness, presumption, pride, pridefulness, proudness, superiority.

Translations

تَشامُخ، إحْتِقار

povýšenost

overlegenhed

Hochmütigkeit

hroki, òótti

arroganza

kibirlilik

傲慢

superciliousness

[ˌsuːpəˈsɪlɪəsnɪs] N → desdén m, altanería f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

superciliousness

n → Hochnäsigkeit f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

superciliousness

[ˌsuːpəˈsɪlɪəsnɪs] n (frm) → alterigia

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

supercilious

(suːpəˈsiliəs) adjective

contemptuous or disdainful. a supercilious look.

ˌsuperˈciliously adverb

ˌsuperˈciliousness noun

References in classic literature ?

To behave to her guest with such superciliousness! Hardly even to speak to her!"

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His immaculate fatigue-uniform, his calm superciliousness, his obvious air of belonging to a superior class, were galling to Trent beyond measure.

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By Jane, this attention was received with the greatest pleasure, but Elizabeth still saw superciliousness in their treatment of everybody, hardly excepting even her sister, and could not like them; though their kindness to Jane, such as it was, had a value as arising in all probability from the influence of their brother's admiration.

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With the superciliousness of extreme youth, I put thirty-five as the utmost limit at which a man might fall in love without making a fool of himself.

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I may remark that hitherto she had treated me with absolute superciliousness, and, so far from answering my salutations, had always ignored them.

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As he limped along the high street of Blackstable he looked with a tinge of superciliousness at the people he passed.

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Really very good!" said Nicholas with some unintentional superciliousness, as if ashamed to confess that the sounds pleased him very much.

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('Now, why should he ask that, with sudden superciliousness?' thought Mr.

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Noted reed-drawers were they too, and looked round upon the other three with some superciliousness.

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It is even observed that the wives who quote him to their self-willed husbands as a shining example in reality look down upon him and that nobody does so with greater superciliousness than one particular lady whose lord is more than suspected of laying his umbrella on her as an instrument of correction.

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A certain superciliousness of look, coolness of manner, nonchalance of tone, express fully their sentiments on the point, without committing them by any positive rudeness in word or deed.

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His little eyes glittered like mica discs--with curiosity, --though he tried to keep up a bit of superciliousness. At first I was astonished, but very soon I became awfully curious to see what he would find out from me.