self-conscious

adjective

self-con·​scious ˌself-ˈkän(t)-shəs 

1

a

: conscious of one's own acts or states as belonging to or originating in oneself : aware of oneself as an individual

b

: intensely aware of oneself : conscious

a rising and self-conscious social class

also : produced or done with such awareness

self-conscious art

2

: uncomfortably conscious of oneself as an object of the observation of others : ill at ease

self-consciously adverb

self-consciousness noun

Examples of self-conscious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The images have become the site of a self-conscious meta-comedy about the consuming urge to post that afflicts a portion of the population. —Paul McAdory, Them., 9 Dec. 2025

Think of the harm caused by poking an animal that’s sentient compared to the harm caused by poking an animal that’s self-conscious. —Monika Piotrowska, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025

Amid them all, Ian Edwards’s confidently unflappable work stands out as the least self-conscious about the meaning of life, but Edwards’s is every bit as thoughtful and well-crafted. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025

In his sketches, even the most oddball figures—a focus-group participant with terrible ideas, a man struggling to back out of a parking lot—are self-conscious about their unpopularity. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for self-conscious

• conscious
• preconscious
• subconscious
• unconscious

Kids Definition

self-conscious

adjective

self-con·​scious

ˈself-ˈkän-chəs

: uncomfortably conscious of oneself as an object of the observation of others

self-consciously adverb

self-consciousness noun