Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having an excessively high opinion of oneself; behaving as if superior to others: The term "stuck-up" describes a person who is perceived as being overly proud, conceited, or snobbish, often looking down on others.
   • Characterized by an aloof or disdainful attitude: It implies a manner that is unfriendly or unapproachable due to a sense of superiority.

Usage

"Stuck-up" is a colloquial, often informal and critical adjective. It is typically used to describe a person's character or attitude, not objects or abstract concepts. It carries a negative judgment.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • She was so stuck-up that she refused to talk to anyone at the party.
  • Don't be so stuck-up; you're no better than the rest of us.
  • He has a reputation for being stuck-up and arrogant.

Advanced Usage

• "to act stuck-up": to behave in a conceited or snobbish manner.
  • Ever since she got that promotion, she's started to act really stuck-up.
• "stuck-up attitude": a demeanor characterized by snobbery.
  • His stuck-up attitude makes it hard for people to like him.

Variants and Related Words

• Snobbish (adj): having the character of a snob; similar to "stuck-up" but can be slightly more formal.
• Conceited (adj): excessively proud of oneself; vain.
• Haughty (adj): arrogantly superior and disdainful; a more formal synonym.
• Uppity (adj): (informal) self-important; arrogant.

Synonyms

• Arrogant
• Snooty
• Pompous
• Pretentious

Antonyms

• Humble
• Modest
• Down-to-earth
• Unpretentious

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Too big for one's boots": an idiom meaning conceited or overly self-important, similar in meaning to "stuck-up."
  • He's been too big for his boots since he won the award.
• "Look down one's nose at someone": to regard someone with disdain or scorn, an action typical of a stuck-up person.
  • She looks down her nose at anyone who didn't go to a private school.

Adjective

1. (used colloquially) overly conceited or arrogant
   • a snotty little scion of a degenerate family-Laurent Le Sage
   • they're snobs--stuck-up and uppity and persnickety