SELF-AGGRANDIZEMENT Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

self-aggrandizement

noun

as in arrogance

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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

Noun

And a stellar Paulson expertly exudes snide arrogance, until Sandra breaks open entirely.

— Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
What might seem arrogance in others feels merely reasonable coming from her.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of arrogance

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

His face is a mix of affectlessness and self-satisfaction, putting him somewhere between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, with a touch of the Cheshire cat.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 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

But there comes a point where comfort can quietly become complacency.

— Bill Holodnak, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
The company prides itself on a 97 percent score on France’s Equal Opportunity Index, which calculates the gender pay gap, but Nicolas cautioned against complacency.

— WWD Staff, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of complacency

Noun

But others question the effectiveness of the California’s good-government reforms and merits of the self-glorification that followed.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 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

Even if the movie gets a bit crazy in an apocalyptic epilogue, its picture of bourgeois smugness due for a takedown is delicious.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
The demon was largely limited to one expression — smugness — and was inexplicably the only character who spoke Japanese.

— Corbin Bolies, Variety, 10 June 2026

Definition of smugness

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self-affected

self-aggrandizement

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“Self-aggrandizement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-aggrandizement. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-aggrandizement

noun

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