pride

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noun

ˈprīd

plural prides

Synonyms of pride next

: the quality or state of being proud: such as

: reasonable self-esteem : confidence and satisfaction in oneself : self-respect

There were no injuries, except for a few cases of severely wounded pride.—

McCandlish Phillips

… it is so painful a thing to miss what you want when you have done your very best to obtain it! To struggle in vain always hurts the pride …—

Anthony Trollope

Dressing to the nines on a tight budget is a matter of pride. [=something done in order to maintain one's pride] "When you're young you don't have to care about fashion," says Mr Wu, 82. "But when you're old, you have to."—

The Economist

: pleasure that comes from some relationship, association, achievement, or possession that is seen as a source of honor, respect, etc.

Family members watched with pride as the students took the stage.

professional/civic pride

a beautifully decorated house that shows great pride of ownership

craftspeople who take pride in their work

There's a real sense of pride that the neighborhood finally has a destination restaurant.—

Ruth Reichl

: exaggerated self-esteem : conceit

Almost all the ancient vices—envy, wrath, greed, pride and, notably, lust—can, and will, be facilitated by the internet over the course of the show.—

John Anderson

Ingratitude was condemned …, the sinfulness of pride was pointed out—together with the proverbial fact that it "goes before a fall."—

Joseph Conrad

He [Henry Worsley] was, he knew, blinded by pride; as he later wrote, he could not be seen as "admitting to weakness."—

David Grann

Interest and ambition exercise considerable sway among them; but pride and vanity none: the distinctions of rank produce little impression.—

Germaine de Staël

Swallow your pride and ask for help—if you're lucky enough to have it.—

Jessica Irvine

also : behavior that reflects such an attitude

I would gladly suffer his haughty pride and sharp tongue for her sake. —

Diane Stanley

sometimes Pride : respect and appreciation for oneself and others as members of a group and especially a marginalized group : solidarity with a group based on a shared identity, history, and experience

Growing up in the 70s, she was immersed in shows of Black pride, activism, and bold style.—

Jasmine Browley

a symbol of gay Pride

usually Pride : an event or series of events celebrating and affirming the rights, equality, and culture of LGBTQ people

… Madrid's take on Pride … starts each year in late June and runs through early July. What used to be a small celebration in the late 1970s has since grown into one of the largest celebrations of LGBTQ pride in Europe.—

Meena Thiruvengadam

celebrating Gay/LGBT/LGBTQ Pride

—often used before another noun

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month. This month-long celebration demonstrates how LGBTQ Americans have strengthened our country, by using their talent and creativity to help create awareness and goodwill. The first Pride March in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, on the one year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.—

Library of CongressThe rainbow colors of the flags that wave at Pride parades are meant to celebrate the diversity of a community that includes people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and—all the rest.—

Sean Thomas-Breitfeld

: a source of pride : a person or thing that makes you feel proud

The school's award-winning choir is the pride of the town.

Outside the house, the pride of the property is an eighteenth-century herb garden.—

Joseph J. Thorndike, Jr.

: a group of lions living together

Male lions stay with the pride until they are displaced by other male lions. Lionesses stay forever.—

John Corry

The lions' basic social unit is the pride—a permanent social group consisting of two to eighteen adult females and their offspring and one to seven resident adult males.—

Anne Pusey and Craig Packer

: a showy or pretentious group

the queen surrounded by a pride of gaily dressed ladies

a pompous pride of civic notables

archaic : ostentatious or showy display

Farewell the plumed troop and the big wars / That make ambition virtue! O, farewell, … The royal banner, and all quality, / Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!—

William Shakespeare

Since the foundation of Rome, no general had more nobly deserved a triumph than Aurelian; nor was a triumph ever celebrated with superior pride and magnificence.—

Edward Gibbon

: the most active, thriving, or satisfying stage or period : prime

in the pride of one's youth

In the pride of her beauty she had been married …—

William Makepeace Thackeray

pride

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verb

prided; priding

transitive verb

: to indulge (oneself) in pride

—now usually used in the phrase pride oneself on to describe taking pride in some ability, quality, etc.

She was a girl who prided herself on her carefully blasé and supercilious attitude towards life.—

P. G. Wodehouse

Example Sentences

Noun Being able to work again gave him his pride back. Getting caught cheating stripped him of his pride. Pride would not allow her to give up. It's a matter of pride that he does the work all by himself. The novel is about a family consumed with pride and vanity. They needed help, but their pride wouldn't let them ask for it. I had to swallow my pride and admit I made a mistake. He showed a great pride in his family. These young people are the pride of their community. Verb he prides himself on the quality of his writing See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Joanna then shared sentiments of pride for her heritage. —

Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 12 May 2023 The miniature pride flag comes in five sizes and can be hung indoors or out. —

Kate Mcgregor, housebeautiful.com, 11 May 2023 From the archives: Klay Thompson The pride of Santa Margarita, Klay Thompson, continues to be one of the best shooters in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors. —

Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2023 This patriotism, combined with pride in all things K-Pop, K-Drama and Newtro all go towards making Seoul a city like no other. —

Richard Quest, CNN, 8 May 2023 This brand was created with the idea of showcasing the pride of Detroiters and being a brand partner that champions the city and surrounding communities. —

Chandra Fleming, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2023 For others, however, maintaining the spectacle of this grand royal occasion is a source of great national pride, and thousands lined the streets for the procession. —

Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2023 Tens of thousands of pride participants have gathered at Seoul Plaza in front of the South Korean capital’s City Hall every year since 2014, except for a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the covid-19 pandemic. —

Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 4 May 2023 South Boston is in the locals’ speech patterns, their jobs, their religion, their pride and their prejudice. —

Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2023

Verb

Southern California Gas, which prides itself as the nation’s biggest gas utility, is a major funder of the project at the Port of Los Angeles. —

Justine Calma, The Verge, 4 May 2023 The retailer carries a ton of household names (think Simplehuman, Blu Dot, and Babyletto) that speak to the level of quality, and prides itself on fast turnaround times for in-stock inventory. —

Deanna Pai, Peoplemag, 1 May 2023 And some of the sharpest body blows landed on the Secret Service that has long prided itself on operating outside politics, protecting presidents of all political stripes in sensitive times. —

Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2023 The college has long prided itself not only on its faculty but also on providing a vibrant residential community. —

Alexis Timko, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2023 While Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve draw headlines for their prodigious offensive production, Tucker prides himself on making an impact in all three phases of the game. —

Michael Shapiro, Chron, 23 Feb. 2023 Biden’s team prides itself on its competence, and a mishandling of the Ohio derailment could challenge that reputation, especially in the Midwest. —

Toluse Olorunnipa And Ian Duncan, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Feb. 2023 Nation/World Britain, which has prided itself on being ahead of its Western allies in introducing new weapons systems to Ukraine, now appears poised to send Kyiv the long-range missiles the Biden administration has long denied it. —

Karen Deyoung, Anchorage Daily News, 9 May 2023 Britain, which has prided itself on being ahead of its Western allies in introducing new weapons systems to Ukraine, now appears poised to send Kyiv the long-range missiles the Biden administration has long denied it. —

Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 8 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pride.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.