Unfortunately, we’ve all met someone who assumes they know best at all times. But do you know what to call a person who thinks they’re always right?
In this article, we’ve provided a list of single words and catchy phrases that you can attribute to a person who thinks they have everything figured out!
Words for Someone Who Thinks They Are Always Right
- Know-it-all
- Smart aleck
- Uncompromising
- Cocksure
- Arrogant
- Smartypants
- Opinionated
- Wiseacre
- Pendant
- Pretentious
- Sophomaniac
- Self-righteous
- Stubborn
- Imperious
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A “know-it-all” is someone who believes they know everything and will therefore assume they are always right.
- When someone is conceited and self-assertive about their opinions, you can call them a “smart aleck.”
- In professional settings, you can call a person who always thinks they’re right “uncompromising” to be more polite.
Stay right there! In the next section, we’ll discuss our top three terms for a person who thinks they are always right.
Furthermore, we’ll show you some useful example sentences using each of them!
Know-it-all
“Know-it-all” is the perfect word to describe someone who always has to be right.
After all, Merriam-Webster defines this term as “one who claims to know everything” and “one who disdains advice.”
Obviously, if someone believes they already know everything, they’ll never be interested in hearing an opposing viewpoint.
Therefore, a “know-it-all” is someone who always believes they know better than everyone else. Thus, they dislike it when anyone tries to offer them advice or, worse, implies that they’re wrong!
You can use this phrase to express disapproval of a person’s inability to consider other people’s viewpoints. However, this is an informal phrase, so use it with caution when you’re at work!
Let’s have a look at a couple of example sentences making use of this phrase:
Cameron is a total know-it-all and that’s why no one invites him anywhere.
You might want to rephrase the fourth paragraph in your cover letter – it makes you sound like a know-it-all.
Smart Aleck
Merriam-Webster defines a “smart aleck” as “an obnoxiously conceited and self-assertive person with pretensions to smartness or cleverness.”
There’s a lot to unpack in this particular definition!
Firstly, a person is “conceited” if they have an excessively high opinion of themselves.
Secondly, they are “self-assertive” if they believe themselves superior and assert their views onto others.
Thirdly, if they have “pretentious to smartness or cleverness,” this means they claim to be clever even though there is room for doubt. In other words, they are un-self-aware.
So, we now understand each aspect of the definition of a “smart aleck.” Thus, it’s clear that this term perfectly encapsulates a person who is so sure of their cleverness that they presume they are right about everything.
People usually use the term “smart aleck” to be critical. Therefore, you should be wary about using this phrase in professional circumstances, even if someone at work is an undoubtedly smart aleck!
Nonetheless, let’s see how you might use this term in a few examples:
Don’t be a smart aleck – you might have been top of your class, but that means nothing compared to the years of experience of your mentor.
Carly is a complete smart aleck, and I find it impossible to work with her.
Uncompromising
When someone has a very confident personality and always assumes they are always correct, they will often refuse to meet people halfway.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “if people or their beliefs are uncompromising, they are fixed and do not change, especially when faced with opposition.”
Therefore, a person may be “uncompromising” because they assume that they are always right. Moreover, they will never listen to other people’s opinions on any matter.
“Uncompromising” is a more polite term for someone who always thinks they’re right, and it is probably the best option to use in professional circumstances.
Therefore, if you have a colleague who refuses to listen to your perspective, you can call them this word without being too confrontational or offensive.
Check out the following examples to see what we mean:
I have tried to work with Rebecca in the past, but she’s too uncompromising.
You can’t be so uncompromising if you want to build a good rapport with your peers.