Supercilious means behaving as if you're better than everyone else, showing contempt or scorn through your attitude and expressions. A supercilious person might look down their nose at others, raise one eyebrow dismissively, or speak in a tone that suggests other people aren't worth their time.

The word comes from Latin roots meaning “eyebrow,” because people often show this attitude by raising their eyebrows in disdain. Picture a character in a movie who walks into a room, glances around with a sneer, and says something like, “How quaint,” in a withering voice. That's supercilious behavior.

You might encounter supercilious attitudes in stories about snobbish aristocrats or mean popular kids who act superior to everyone else. A supercilious waiter might treat customers rudely because he thinks his taste is more refined than theirs. A supercilious classmate might roll her eyes when someone asks a question, as if the question is too simple to deserve an answer.

Being confident is different from being supercilious. Supercilious behavior means putting others down, which reflects poorly on the person doing it.