self-doubt
noun
plural self-doubts
: a lack of faith in oneself : a feeling of doubt or uncertainty about one's abilities, actions, etc.
plagued with/by self-doubt
overcame her self-doubts
The man who comes through the pages of this straightforwardly written autobiography is eminently human, full of self-doubt about his personal life and his career …—
Walter Goodman
Walter GoodmanExamples of self-doubt in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Social media bombards our minds with images that trigger envy and self-doubt, keeping our nervous systems in a chronic state of stress.
—Dr. Daniel Amen, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
In Carney’s classroom, there is room for honest reflection but not self-doubt.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
No matter what stage in life, a parent’s disapproving action or comment can send an adult child spiraling down a vortex of negative feelings and self-doubt.
—Lynda Lin Grigsby, Parents, 7 Nov. 2025
Through the most tumultuous years of their young lives — personally and globally — Kate and Frida show each other how to overcome self-doubt and embrace joy even through their darkest hours in the last precious years before the internet changed everything.
—Nora Dahlia, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
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Dr. Daniel Amen, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
In Carney’s classroom, there is room for honest reflection but not self-doubt.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
No matter what stage in life, a parent’s disapproving action or comment can send an adult child spiraling down a vortex of negative feelings and self-doubt.
—Lynda Lin Grigsby, Parents, 7 Nov. 2025
Through the most tumultuous years of their young lives — personally and globally — Kate and Frida show each other how to overcome self-doubt and embrace joy even through their darkest hours in the last precious years before the internet changed everything.
—Nora Dahlia, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-doubt
Cite this Entry
“Self-doubt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-doubt. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
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