self-aggrandizing
adjective
self-ag·gran·diz·ing
ˌself-ə-ˈgran-ˌdī-ziŋ 
also -ˈa-grən-
: acting or intended to enhance one's power, wealth, position, or reputation
… staggeringly self-aggrandizing greed and theft …—
William J. Astore
William J. Astore… a self-aggrandizing cad bent on gathering for himself whatever spoils he can amass from the public coffers.—Paul Beckett
Paul Beckett
especially
: boastful often in disregard of the truth
self-aggrandizing remarks
… the skill of talking about yourself in a natural way without coming off as a self-aggrandizing braggart. —Jim Murray
Jim Murray … whose dishonest, self-aggrandizing memoirs adroitly snookered the public … —Frank Rich
Frank Rich We hear of the self-aggrandizing fantasies which he told his sisters, as tales to amuse them. —Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn Warren … was publicly suspended with no pay for six months after it emerged that he repeatedly told a self-aggrandizing, false story about being aboard a military helicopter hit by an RPG over Iraq. —Kieran Corcoran and Christopher Brennan
Kieran Corcoran and Christopher Brennan
self-aggrandizement
noun
plural self-aggrandizements
… the construction of monumental buildings for self-aggrandizement.
—Beatrice Forbes Manz
Beatrice Forbes Manz
A native reticence, almost an aversion to anything that might be construed as boasting or self-aggrandizement, is paired with innate optimism, loyalty and a quiet determination.
—Steven Winn
Steven Winn
Examples of self-aggrandizing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This debut wasn’t a self-aggrandizing spectacle.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Oct. 2025
Not for the praise, not for self-aggrandizing satisfaction of a dish made perfectly.
—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
For the past few months, Newsom tapped his social media team to impersonate Trump online, typing in all caps, making self-aggrandizing claims (more than normal, that is), and being generally combative.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025
Newsom’s social media efforts this month have mimicked Trump’s all caps, self-aggrandizing posts, in a way that has vexed some of the president’s allies and drawn attention across media platforms.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2025
Today's self-aggrandizing report is little more than an industry wishlist masked as government policy.
—Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 30 July 2025
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem dipped a toe inside the city limits — a dozen miles away from the protests — to host a self-aggrandizing press conference in Westwood, only to have U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla elbow his way in and be thrown to the ground by overzealous FBI agents.
—Jim Newton, Mercury News, 12 July 2025
Arnett’s narration is conversational but authoritative, proud but not self-aggrandizing.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 12 May 2025
While Musk’s often self-aggrandizing moves can be polarizing, Trump’s promotion of him as his proxy balances it out.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
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David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Oct. 2025
Not for the praise, not for self-aggrandizing satisfaction of a dish made perfectly.
—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
For the past few months, Newsom tapped his social media team to impersonate Trump online, typing in all caps, making self-aggrandizing claims (more than normal, that is), and being generally combative.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025
Newsom’s social media efforts this month have mimicked Trump’s all caps, self-aggrandizing posts, in a way that has vexed some of the president’s allies and drawn attention across media platforms.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2025
Today's self-aggrandizing report is little more than an industry wishlist masked as government policy.
—Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 30 July 2025
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem dipped a toe inside the city limits — a dozen miles away from the protests — to host a self-aggrandizing press conference in Westwood, only to have U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla elbow his way in and be thrown to the ground by overzealous FBI agents.
—Jim Newton, Mercury News, 12 July 2025
Arnett’s narration is conversational but authoritative, proud but not self-aggrandizing.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 12 May 2025
While Musk’s often self-aggrandizing moves can be polarizing, Trump’s promotion of him as his proxy balances it out.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-aggrandizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-aggrandizing. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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