self-aggrandizement

noun

Definition of self-aggrandizementnext
as in arrogance

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of self-aggrandizement This does not sound like power-mad self-aggrandizement, whatever Fauci’s Senate antagonists might say. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026 While Garfield’s story — Civil War veteran, farmer, reluctant president — is the stuff of the American Dream, Guiteau’s penchant for delusion and self-aggrandizement is clearly an American Nightmare. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 27 May 2026 Too often the main concern is self preservation, or self-aggrandizement. — Rabbi Dan Levin, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026 Trying to follow his energy, his whims, his insults and his self-aggrandizement practically requires a seatbelt to watch. — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Feb. 2026 Such self-aggrandizement has never been an attractive side of Trump—again, even for many of his supporters. — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026 Long trolling Trump in what many view as the lead-up to a 2028 White House bid by the two-term Democrat, Newsom’s missive comes in all caps and with the over-the-top self-aggrandizement that is common to POTUS himself — which is often the point. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-aggrandizement
  1. arrogance
  2. vanity
  3. egotism
  4. vainglory
  5. self-satisfaction
  6. complacency
  7. self-glorification
  8. smugness
Noun
  • Aemond, too, for that matter, while Daemon’s arrogance continues to get Team Black into all sorts of predicaments.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But the league’s own research found that what reads as charisma in Dallas can land as arrogance in Düsseldorf.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • The bedroom is paired with a Blue Crystallo quartzite bathroom, where the vanity matches the walk-in shower and a gold soaking tub sits next to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For a Minimal Footprint Specs AccordionItemContainerButton When every inch counts, designers often start by lifting the vanity off the floor.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of vanity
Noun
  • Nolan foregrounds the nobility that guides the character (his guilt, his dedication to his men, his yearning for his family) and neglects his wily cunning and egotism.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026
  • But never mind these displays of egotism and tackiness that currently blemish landmarks throughout the nation’s capital, including the National Mall, traditional site of the annual July Fourth fireworks.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of egotism
Noun
  • The conceit is saved from vainglory by the gravity Cage brings to the performance.
    — Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023
  • That’s the mantra for wide receivers, a group long known for their vainglory.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023
Definition of vainglory
Noun
  • The situation gets even worse once Bonnie’s concerned parents try to connect their daughter with friends by buying her a Lilypad, a child-appropriate smart tablet in frog-like casing, voiced with slappably perky self-satisfaction by Greta Lee.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
  • After 50 minutes of self-satisfaction, the hero fades serenely into a sunset that Dudamel made miraculously mystical.
    — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Definition of self-satisfaction
Noun
  • Trouble starts when a communal relationship switches, out of complacency, and starts running on exchange rules.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But not for the first time, Putin’s complacency led to overconfidence.
    — Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2026
Definition of complacency
Noun
  • That’s different than self-glorification — that’s about being part of the ideal.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The underlying corruption of FIFA, which runs the World Cup, makes the organization a willing accomplice in his quest for self-glorification.
    — Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2026
Definition of self-glorification
Noun
  • The demon was largely limited to one expression — smugness — and was inexplicably the only character who spoke Japanese.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 10 June 2026
  • One widespread subspecies endemic to the area is the haughty Cardinal, recognized by its bright-red plumage and smugness about winning a dozen National League Central crowns.
    — Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 31 May 2026
Definition of smugness

Browse Nearby Words

self-affected
self-aggrandizement
self-aggrandizing
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Cite this Entry

“Self-aggrandizement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-aggrandizement. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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