When you describe someone as someone who thinks they’re always right, you’re talking about a person who believes their opinion or judgement is always correct—and often ignores other viewpoints.
Having alternatives matters because saying the same phrase over and over can sound dull or even unprofessional.
Choosing the right variant helps set the tone: formal vs informal; polite vs blunt; business-friendly vs casual.
By varying your language, you’ll sound more fluent, more natural, and better attuned to context. In this article you’ll learn what the phrase means, when to use it, and over 20 good alternatives (with examples) for different settings.
What Does “Someone Who Thinks They’re Always Right” Mean?
This phrase describes a person who acts as though they cannot be wrong. In grammar terms, it’s a noun-phrase describing a person’s attitude: they hold a belief that their opinion, decision or viewpoint is always correct. You can treat it as a character trait (e.g., “He’s that kind of person who thinks he’s always right”).
When to Use “Someone Who Thinks They’re Always Right”
You might use this phrase (or one of its alternatives):
- In informal conversation, when you’re talking casually with friends: “I can’t work with him – he’s someone who thinks he’s always right.”
- In writing, when describing a personality type: “Managers who act like someone who thinks they’re always right tend to alienate their teams.”
- In business context, though you may want a more formal phrase: “We need to be careful: her communication style comes across as someone who thinks they know best.”
- In criticism or feedback, when you describe a problem: “It’s exhausting dealing with someone who thinks they’re always right and never listens.”
Is It Professional / Polite to Say “Someone Who Thinks They’re Always Right”?
Using that phrase is generally polite but still somewhat blunt. It’s fine in many casual or semi-formal settings when you want to point out the behaviour rather than attack the person. However, in a highly professional or formal setting (like a corporate report or email to an executive) you might want a more neutral or diplomatic phrase—so as not to seem offensive or overly judgemental.
Pros and Cons of Using “Someone Who Thinks They’re Always Right”
Pros:
- Clear and easy to understand.
- Nearly neutral in tone—less harsh than calling someone “arrogant” or “a tyrant”.
- Good for both spoken and written English.
Cons:
- Slightly wordy compared to a single word alternative.
- Does not capture subtleties (e.g., whether the person actually is always right or just acts like it).
- In formal business writing, may still sound casual—so you might prefer a more formal synonym.
List of Alternatives
Below are 20+ alternative phrases, each with meaning, explanation, example sentence, best use context, worst use scenario, and tone.
- Phrase:Know-it-all
- Meaning: Someone who behaves as if they know everything.
- Explanation: Informal term; often negative or teasing.
- Example Sentence: “He’s a real know-it-all in meetings—he interrupts everyone with his ‘best’ solution.”
- Best Use: Informal / casual.
- Worst Use: Formal business writing.
- Tone: Friendly (but critical).
- Phrase:Self-righteous person
- Meaning: Someone convinced their own views are moral and right, and others are wrong.
- Explanation: Carries moral judgement.
- Example Sentence: “She became a self-righteous person who dismissed any suggestion from her junior staff.”
- Best Use: Semi-formal writing/discussion.
- Worst Use: Light casual talk among friends.
- Tone: Neutral to formal.
- Phrase:Dogmatic individual
- Meaning: Someone who lays down their opinions as incontrovertible truths.
- Explanation: Formal; implies rigid thinking.
- Example Sentence: “His dogmatic approach shut down all attempts at collaboration.”
- Best Use: Formal/business writing.
- Worst Use: Casual chit-chat.
- Tone: Formal.
- Phrase:Arrogant know-all
- Meaning: Someone who acts like they know everything and feel superior to others.
- Explanation: Negative, stronger than “know-it-all”.
- Example Sentence: “Nobody likes working with him—he’s an arrogant know-all who never admits mistakes.”
- Best Use: Casual or honest feedback.
- Worst Use: Diplomatically in company review.
- Tone: Emphatic/critical.
- Phrase:Infallible thinker
- Meaning: Someone who behaves as if they can’t be wrong.
- Explanation: Slightly formal, a bit ironic because no one is truly infallible.
- Example Sentence: “She presents her ideas like an infallible thinker—unwilling to entertain any other view.”
- Best Use: Written analysis or commentary.
- Worst Use: Very casual speech (“He’s an infallible thinker” might sound odd to friends).
- Tone: Formal/neutral.
- Phrase:Stubborn perfectionist
- Meaning: Someone who insists on being right and flawless; resists being wrong.
- Explanation: Less direct about “always being right” but captures the attitude.
- Example Sentence: “We couldn’t move forward because our stubborn perfectionist colleague wouldn’t accept any alternative.”
- Best Use: Business/corporate conversation.
- Worst Use: Very informal (“He’s a stubborn perfectionist” in casual talk might miss the “always right” nuance).
- Tone: Professional/friendly.
- Phrase:Know-all commentator
- Meaning: Someone who comments as if they know everything.
- Explanation: Slightly lighter and more descriptive.
- Example Sentence: “Stop being a know-all commentator in this project – listen to the team first.”
- Best Use: Informal workplace discussion.
- Worst Use: Formal document.
- Tone: Friendly.
- Phrase:Authority complex
- Meaning: Someone who acts like they hold ultimate authority and cannot be wrong.
- Explanation: A bit psychological; describes mindset.
- Example Sentence: “He has an authority complex, always assuming he’s the final voice in the matter.”
- Best Use: Semi-formal analysis or internal memo.
- Worst Use: Friendly casual chat (“She has an authority complex” might feel heavy).
- Tone: Neutral/formal.
- Phrase:Over-confident pundit
- Meaning: Someone overly sure of their own opinions and claims.
- Explanation: Slightly lighter; “pundit” implies commentary.
- Example Sentence: “As an over-confident pundit, he dismissed anyone who dared challenge him.”
- Best Use: Business/corporate presentation.
- Worst Use: Very formal report (could seem flippant).
- Tone: Neutral to friendly.
- Phrase:Ego-driven decision-maker
- Meaning: Someone whose strong ego makes them believe their choices are always right.
- Explanation: Business-friendly; describes behaviour rather than person.
- Example Sentence: “The ego-driven decision-maker ignored feedback from the team and forced his plan through.”
- Best Use: Business context.
- Worst Use: Casual talk among friends.
- Tone: Professional.
- Phrase:Inflexible debater
- Meaning: Someone who refuses to consider other views and always defends their own.
- Explanation: Focuses on behaviour in conversations.
- Example Sentence: “She’s an inflexible debater: once she picks a position, no one can change her mind.”
- Best Use: Semi-formal writing or speaking.
- Worst Use: Casual joking (“He’s just an inflexible debater” might sound too serious).
- Tone: Neutral.
- Phrase:Unyielding authority
- Meaning: Someone in power who insists on being right and doesn’t bend.
- Explanation: Formal; points to both attitude and power.
- Example Sentence: “The unyielding authority in the room dominated every discussion and refused to listen.”
- Best Use: Formal business writing.
- Worst Use: Casual speech.
- Tone: Formal.
- Phrase:Smart-aleck
- Meaning: Someone who is irritatingly clever and acts like they know best.
- Explanation: Informal, slightly mocking.
- Example Sentence: “Don’t be a smart-aleck in the meeting – your sarcasm doesn’t help.”
- Best Use: Casual conversation or friendly email.
- Worst Use: Formal report or professional feedback.
- Tone: Friendly/teasing.
- Phrase:Walking encyclopedia
- Meaning: Someone who seems to know everything and acts like it.
- Explanation: More neutral, could be positive or negative depending on context.
- Example Sentence: “He’s a walking encyclopedia of marketing trends—but he still refuses to ask anyone for help.”
- Best Use: Informal or semi-formal.
- Worst Use: Very formal as an insult (“walking encyclopedia” lacks the “always right” nuance).
- Tone: Neutral friendly.
- Phrase:Obstinate thinker
- Meaning: Someone who stubbornly sticks to their ideas as if they’re right.
- Explanation: Formal; describes thinking style.
- Example Sentence: “Her obstinate thinking blocked progress during our strategy session.”
- Best Use: Professional writing or analysis.
- Worst Use: Very casual talk (“He’s just an obstinate thinker” might sound odd).
- Tone: Formal.
- Phrase:Perspicacious pretender
- Meaning: Someone who acts very insightful and always right, though maybe not.
- Explanation: Slightly literary; more playful.
- Example Sentence: “He tends to be a perspicacious pretender – he claims all the answers but ignores evidence.”
- Best Use: Written commentary or blog.
- Worst Use: Everyday informal conversation.
- Tone: Friendly/formal mix.
- Phrase:Master of their own truth
- Meaning: Someone who believes their own version of right and ignores others.
- Explanation: Slightly creative; emphasises self-belief.
- Example Sentence: “She’s the master of her own truth—nothing sways her view, even when facts say otherwise.”
- Best Use: Semi-formal writing or speech.
- Worst Use: Strictly professional report (could sound too stylised).
- Tone: Friendly/creative.
- Phrase:Pre-eminent authority figure
- Meaning: Someone in a position of authority who assumes they are always correct.
- Explanation: Very formal; more about role than behaviour.
- Example Sentence: “The pre-eminent authority figure refused to consult the committee and pressed ahead alone.”
- Best Use: Formal business or academic writing.
- Worst Use: Informal talk.
- Tone: Formal.
- Phrase:Unshakeable optimist (in their own view)
- Meaning: Someone so sure of their view they cannot accept being wrong.
- Explanation: Slightly less harsh; hints at confidence.
- Example Sentence: “He is an unshakeable optimist in his own view—unrealistically so, given the data.”
- Best Use: Semi-formal.
- Worst Use: When you want a strong negative tone.
- Tone: Neutral friendly.
- Phrase:Totalitarian thinker
- Meaning: Someone who imposes their thinking as if no other view is allowed.
- Explanation: Strong, somewhat dramatic; indicates dominance.
- Example Sentence: “His totalitarian thinking killed creative discussion in the team.”
- Best Use: Professional critique (if strong language is acceptable).
- Worst Use: Casual friendly talk (too harsh).
- Tone: Emphatic/critical.
- Phrase:Absolute authority syndrome
- Meaning: Someone with a mindset that they hold absolute correctness.
- Explanation: Semi-technical, good for analysis.
- Example Sentence: “She suffers from absolute authority syndrome—there is no room for disagreement in her world.”
- Best Use: Business or education writing.
- Worst Use: Simple everyday conversation.
- Tone: Formal/neutral.
- Phrase:Imperious decision-maker
- Meaning: Someone who decides as if they are always right and just expects others to follow.
- Explanation: Emphasises the “I’m right, you follow” attitude.
- Example Sentence: “Their imperious decision-maker inhibited feedback and creativity.”
- Best Use: Formal business writing.
- Worst Use: Casual chat.
- Tone: Formal.
- Phrase:Smug controller
- Meaning: Someone who controls the conversation or situation because they believe they’re right.
- Explanation: Informal, quite negative.
- Example Sentence: “Don’t sit next to the smug controller in that meeting—he will dominate every topic.”
- Best Use: Informal talk or critique.
- Worst Use: Professional document.
- Tone: Friendly/critical.
- Phrase:Unquestioned authority figure
- Meaning: Someone whose views are never challenged because they act as always right.
- Explanation: Formal; focuses on the dynamic of others not challenging them.
- Example Sentence: “As the unquestioned authority figure, he never solicited dissenting opinions.”
- Best Use: Corporate analysis or leadership review.
- Worst Use: Casual informal talk.
- Tone: Formal.
- Phrase:Cocky expert
- Meaning: Someone who acts like an expert and believes they are always correct.
- Explanation: Informal/slightly slangy.
- Example Sentence: “That cocky expert in our team never admits he’s wrong—even when he clearly is.”
- Best Use: Casual speech among colleagues.
- Worst Use: Formal writing.
- Tone: Friendly/critical.
- Phrase:Closed-mind dominator
- Meaning: Someone who dominates discussions and refuses to listen—acting like they’re always right.
- Explanation: Descriptive phrase; informal professional.
- Example Sentence: “Working under a closed-mind dominator can kill innovation fast.”
- Best Use: Semi-formal business talk.
- Worst Use: Very formal academic writing.
- Tone: Neutral friendly.
- Phrase:Impervious opinion-holder
- Meaning: Someone whose views are impervious to challenge, as though they’re always right.
- Explanation: A bit abstract, good for writing.
- Example Sentence: “His impervious opinion-holder attitude frustrated the whole team.”
- Best Use: Professional article or blog.
- Worst Use: Casual chat.
- Tone: Formal/neutral.
Comparison Table
Here’s a quick table comparing five of the above phrases by tone and usage:
| Phrase | Tone | Best use context | Less suitable context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Know-it-all | Friendly/informal | Casual talk | Formal business report |
| Dogmatic individual | Formal | Business or writing | Chat with friends |
| Smart-aleck | Informal/teasing | Friendly workplace talk | Official email |
| Self-righteous person | Semi-formal | Critical discussion | Light conversation |
| Unquestioned authority figure | Very formal | Leadership review/analysis | Informal team meeting |
FAQs
Q1: Can I use any of these in formal business writing?
Yes—but choose those with a formal tone (like dogmatic individual, unquestioned authority figure, imperious decision-maker) and avoid informal slang.
Q2: Is it always negative to say someone thinks they’re always right?
Usually yes, because believing you’re always right discourages openness and collaboration. But you might use a lighter version (like walking encyclopedia) when you want to be less critical.
Q3: How do I choose between these alternatives?
Think about: who you’re talking to, how strong you want your tone to be, and how formal the situation is. If it’s casual with friends → know-it-all, smart-aleck. If it’s formal writing → dogmatic individual, imperious decision-maker.
Q4: Can using one of these help me sound more fluent in English?
Absolutely. Using richer vocabulary shows you have nuance in how you describe attitudes and people. It makes you sound more confident and natural in English communication.
Q5: Are there positive versions of “someone who thinks they’re always right”?
If you want a more positive spin you might say someone is self-assured, strong-willed, or confident in their convictions. Just note: those don’t carry the negative nuance of “always thinking they’re right”.
Conclusion
Choosing different ways to say “someone who thinks they’re always right” gives you more flexibility, nuance and professionalism. Whether you’re speaking casually or writing formally, you now have 20 + strong alternatives to pick from.
Try a few in your next conversation or email. With practice you’ll sound more natural, precise and confident—and you won’t fall back on the same phrase all the time. Experiment, explore, and enjoy expanding your English expressive power!
David Jonson is an experienced English language writer who specializes in clear, practical, and learner-friendly content. He helps students and professionals improve their communication skills with confidence.