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
-
Posing on top of an antique vanity and inside a wooden cabinet, Bieber cycled through a parade of sheer lace, see-through mesh, and strappy designs in shades of red, black, pink, and cream.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
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Store liquids—such as lotion, makeup, perfumes, and skincare—on a tray to protect your vanity table or bathroom cabinet.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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His on-field poise and ego-free personality are a combination that will be an easy sell to an NFL locker room.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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The ego, the hardness, the … callousness of anything that might be on the heart or the mind had literally just melted away.—
Kelsie Hoffman,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But, most of all, there was pride — the good kind of pride.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
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The Hoosiers are the bad guys, the bullies come to take your pride and your lunch money, albeit politely.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In a post dripping with arrogance, Lynch dished out demeaning nicknames for her recent opponents.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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This propensity for mental acrobatics, alongside his immense arrogance, was how Epstein rationalized his crimes to himself.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-admiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-admiration. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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