as in arrogance
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Recent Examples of self-aggrandizement
Taking over a large country ought to be done with circumspection and consensus, not the self-aggrandizement and demagoguery of a massive personality disorder.
—
John Brummett, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Coach has never been one to miss an opportunity for self-aggrandizement, and this quote effectively characterizes his three previous Survivor appearances not as failures but as bold attempts to tame a raging sea.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
No World Cup has been less about the self-aggrandizement of the hosts and yet no World Cup has ever been so overtly political as the 1938 tournament.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
With or without self-aggrandizement, a kind of precedent was established.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
John Brummett, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Coach has never been one to miss an opportunity for self-aggrandizement, and this quote effectively characterizes his three previous Survivor appearances not as failures but as bold attempts to tame a raging sea.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
No World Cup has been less about the self-aggrandizement of the hosts and yet no World Cup has ever been so overtly political as the 1938 tournament.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
With or without self-aggrandizement, a kind of precedent was established.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-aggrandizement
Noun
-
Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach take turns transforming into floating marketplaces — docks converted to catwalks, hulls polished to reflective arrogance, sales reps who can quote fuel burn like yacht owners care about costs.—
Eric Barton,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
-
College football is awash in problems, including the Big Ten’s unrivaled arrogance, and its never-ending list of demands that would make Notre Dame blush.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Jan. 2026
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
-
By incorporating a character unable to do anything but cry and coo, the show only highlights its disinterest in more nuanced examinations of human behavior, such as greed or egotism.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2025
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After his death the day after Easter at age 88, Francis was hailed for pushing Catholics and others to forsake egotism and materialism in favor of a kinder, more tolerant world focused above all on the marginalized.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
On Saturday, on the streets of Washington, Donald Trump will throw himself a costly and ostentatious military parade, a gaudy display of waste and vainglory staged solely to inflate the president’s dirigible-sized ego.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
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The conceit is saved from vainglory by the gravity Cage brings to the performance.—
Isaac Butler,
The New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2023
Noun
-
My disappointment in Vigil came down to the waste of a perfect setup for exhibiting the worldly redemption of art—that is, its power to redeem us from insensitivity and self-satisfaction.—
Julius Taranto,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
-
There’s a fine line between righteousness and self-satisfaction, and the second season, which premieres on HBO Max on January 8, frequently stumbles into the latter territory.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Third, monitor for automation complacency.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Success continues to dominate the headlines for them, but the Bruins show no signs of complacency.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, the song channeled the slightly uncomfortable fusion of selflessness and self-glorification that pop and rock ‘n’ roll stars inevitably projected during the charity-rock-event ’80s.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2024
-
Writing about other peoples has long been in service of self-glorification.—
Manvir Singh,
The New Yorker,
25 Dec. 2023
Noun
-
The smugness is thicker than split pea.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
4 Dec. 2025
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Where Spider masked his incompetence with bravado and abrasiveness, Claude put up a thin layer of smugness that collapsed when faced with even a tiny amount of resistance.—
Brian Grubb,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-aggrandizement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-aggrandizement. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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