Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| creído | /kɾeˈido/ |
| altanero | /altaˈneɾo/ |
| arrogante | /aroˈɡante/ |
| estirado | /estiˈɾado/ |
These terms are used to describe individuals who are snobbish or conceited. You can also use the common idiom se cree mucho to describe someone who thinks highly of themselves.
Which one should you use?
While arrogante implies a general sense of superiority, estirado specifically describes someone who is 'stiff' or 'starchy' in their social manner, similar to the English sense of being 'stuck up'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Creído is an informal way to call someone arrogant. For more literary or formal contexts, you may use altanero. Other formal options include altivo/a for someone who is haughty, desdeñoso/a for someone who looks down on others with disdain and soberbio/a for someone with an inflated ego and a sense of superiority.
How does it change in a sentence?
As these are adjectives, they must agree in gender and number with the person being described. For example, use creída for a woman and creídos for a group of men or a mixed-gender group.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɾeˈido/
Did you know?
- If you call someone soberbio, you might actually be complimenting them. While it often means 'stuck up' or 'arrogant', in its most literal sense, it can also mean 'extremely superb' or 'magnificent'.
- The word arrogante shares the same Latin root as the English word 'arrogance', but it also traces back to the Latin 'rogare', meaning 'to ask' or 'to propose'.
- While creído translates as 'stuck up', it is literally the past participle of creer, meaning 'believed'. To call someone creído is to say they have been 'convinced' of their own greatness.
Examples in context
- No le hables, es un estirado.Don't talk to him, he is stuck up.
- Ese chico es un poco creído.That guy is a bit stuck up.
- No me gusta su actitud, es muy creído.I don't like his attitude, he is very conceited.
- ¿Por qué se puso tan creído de repente?Why did he get so stuck up suddenly?
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are talking about a new coworker.
- Javier¿Qué piensas del nuevo compañero?What do you think of the new coworker?
- SofíaEs un poco creído, la verdad.He is a bit stuck up, to be honest.
- JavierSí, parece que se cree mejor que los demás.Yes, he seems to think he's better than everyone else.
- SofíaExacto, es demasiado creído para trabajar en equipo.Exactly, he is too stuck up to work in a team.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stuck up” translations and entries creído, altanero, arrogante, estirado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries altanero, arrogante, creído, CC BY-SA 4.0.
