orgueilleux

Meaning in English

Orgueilleux means proud in a negative or excessive sense: arrogant, haughty, conceited, having an inflated sense of one’s own importance or superiority.

It can also mean simply proud in the sense of having strong pride, but it most often carries a critical tone (too much pride).

Parts / formation

• From the noun orgueil = pride (often “pride” as a flaw: arrogance, vanity).
• Suffix -eux / -euse: forms adjectives meaning “full of / characterized by”.
  • orgueilleux (masculine)
  • orgueilleuse (feminine)

French synonyms

Depending on nuance:

• arrogant
• hautain
• prétentieux
• vaniteux
• imbu (de lui-même / d’elle-même)
• suffisant (self-satisfied, smug)
• fier (can be close, but often more neutral/positive than orgueilleux)

French antonyms

• humble
• modeste
• simple
• effacé (self-effacing, understated)
• soumis (submissive; stronger/different nuance)

Notes on nuance

• fier can be positive (“proud of an achievement”).
• orgueilleux is typically negative, suggesting pride that makes someone look down on others or refuse to admit fault.