In order to break down the characteristics of the person who might be defined as “haughty,” I did not need to look far.  However, if you’re not a fan of Downton Abbey, I apologize for my source.

haughty | adj.1. disdainfully proud; snobbish; arrogant. 2. Archaic. lofty or noble; exalted.

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When I selected the word “haughty” for today’s post, I thought of several persons I know who might fit the bill.  However, none so well as Downton Abbey’s own Dowager Countess Violet Grantham.  Lady Violet exudes the pure essence of haughty.

If you’re using a character possessed by haughtiness, you might think of using some of the following characteristics, of which Lady Violet never hesitated to show:

rude, snobbish, hypocritical, self-serving, imperious, disdainful, overly aristocratic, condescending

And yet in the case of Lady Violet, she was also a very intelligent woman, one given to witticisms her viewers could not be sure she understood, often loyal.

Writing such a character as Julian Fellows did must be great fun!

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