inferiority complex
noun
1
: an acute sense of personal inferiority often resulting either in timidity or through overcompensation in exaggerated aggressiveness
2
: a collective sense of cultural, regional, or national inferiority
Examples of inferiority complex in a Sentence
His shyness is the result of an inferiority complex.
Recent Examples on the Web
Teams kicking off like this in prior decades often had an inferiority complex.
—
Liam Tharme, New York Times, 11 July 2025
No tech exec would want to be compared to Souper, who has a clear inferiority complex.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 31 May 2025
Now, that narrative could be a product of Canada’s long-standing inferiority complex with its southern neighbors shining through.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Judaism that tries to be alive to a changing world has an inferiority complex.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferiority complex
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Liam Tharme, New York Times, 11 July 2025
No tech exec would want to be compared to Souper, who has a clear inferiority complex.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 31 May 2025
Now, that narrative could be a product of Canada’s long-standing inferiority complex with its southern neighbors shining through.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Judaism that tries to be alive to a changing world has an inferiority complex.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferiority complex
Cite this Entry
“Inferiority complex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferiority%20complex. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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