as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
his overweening self-admiration blinded him to constructive criticism of any kind
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Recent Examples of self-admiration
Most of the film plays out in something close to real time, and the directors, loath to hurry scenes along, slow the action down with a technical virtuosity that sometimes tilts into self-admiration.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
At first, Oliver meekly and gratefully laps up, metaphorically, the warm milk of affection that the family bestows on him between their rounds of backbiting and oblivious self-admiration.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2023
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
At first, Oliver meekly and gratefully laps up, metaphorically, the warm milk of affection that the family bestows on him between their rounds of backbiting and oblivious self-admiration.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-admiration
Noun
-
If there’s not enough space in your vanity to keep the counter clear, a storage cabinet is a great way to keep daily items accessible.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
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So, roughly $300 billion – a 7% gap – separates these three countries from California on this vanity scoreboard.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But all options should be considered, using our adult egos.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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Participants are urged to restrain harmful speech, dishonesty, anger and ego.—
Irfan Sarwar,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On the men’s side, Zuccarello takes pride in his country’s 19-year streak of appearing at the World Championships, and two Norwegians — Brandsegg-Nygård (Detroit) and Stian Solberg (Anaheim) — were drafted in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Now, Bogaerts, who still keeps tabs on his old team, watches clips of Rafaela being a human highlight reel at his old stomping grounds with pride.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Raised on a strict diet of toughness and discipline by his father, Dean arrives with undeniable talent – and an arrogance that quickly earns him enemies.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
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Things moved about at the top with a little more arrogance and zip but at the bottom was the ever-moving present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-admiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-admiration. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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