self-imˈportant, a.
[f. prec.]
Marked by self-importance; having an exaggerated opinion of one's own importance.
| 1775 in Ash. 1783 O'Keeffe Birth-Day 30 A little self-important court gadder. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §281 Five of our best hands being grown self-important, demanded an increase of wages. 1842 Manning Serm. iii. (1843) 39 The imposing comments of self-important people. |
So self-imˈportantly adv.
| 1961 in Webster. 1977 T. Heald Just Desserts vi. 134 A police sergeant who arrived self-importantly. 1981 London Rev. Bks. 19 Nov.–2 Dec. 7/1 Marilyn Butler..is importantly and not self-importantly a citizen of the world. |