as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
the air of self-congratulation that pervades the songwriter's memoirs
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Recent Examples of self-congratulation
Today, the self-congratulation of white liberals has been displaced by white-supremacist promoters of Western civilization who don’t merely posit but brutally enforce inequality between races, peoples, cultures, and nation-states.
—
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Being vocally left-leaning thus provides social status benefits and forms of self-congratulation that being conservative doesn't (if anything, in terms of the broader culture and the opinion-formulating institutions, conservatism tends to be rather lonely and something of a social liability).
—Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
There’s a note of self-congratulation running through this work too — tricky to pinpoint because it comes swathed in both twee humility and real suffering.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2026
That is why this moment demands smarter policy choices, not self-congratulation.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Rutte told attendees that the move wasn’t a moment for self-congratulations as Russia continues its large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
But Putin will not be persuaded by bluster and self-congratulation alone.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
But Carey also took the UBS Arena stage in New York for more than self-congratulations.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Judge, always wary of self-congratulation, downplayed his contributions.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 25 July 2025
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Being vocally left-leaning thus provides social status benefits and forms of self-congratulation that being conservative doesn't (if anything, in terms of the broader culture and the opinion-formulating institutions, conservatism tends to be rather lonely and something of a social liability).
—Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
There’s a note of self-congratulation running through this work too — tricky to pinpoint because it comes swathed in both twee humility and real suffering.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2026
That is why this moment demands smarter policy choices, not self-congratulation.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Rutte told attendees that the move wasn’t a moment for self-congratulations as Russia continues its large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
But Putin will not be persuaded by bluster and self-congratulation alone.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
But Carey also took the UBS Arena stage in New York for more than self-congratulations.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Judge, always wary of self-congratulation, downplayed his contributions.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 25 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-congratulation
Noun
-
One thing to keep in mind is that the bathrooms are open-concept, flowing into the bedroom and living area with no door separating the sink/vanity.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Clavicular is like a blend of Dorian Gray and Patrick Bateman, those fictional creations of gay authors out to probe the sinister side of male vanity.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Drop your ego, keep the accountability, and focus on improvement.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In a curiosity divested of ego.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Kendra, for Joseph, for the whole family, wake up and repent of their pride, their feeling of the world is against them, get things right in their family.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
If festive pride persists, it is no longer connected to a country, empire, culture, or race, but the unique traditions of individual municipalities, pitted against one another in fierce but friendly, sportsmanlike rivalries.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Money and jealousy are the root of the play’s evils, with more deadly sins released in a world of posh, uppity arrogance.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In a study with 355 participants, the authors narrowed their list to 16 warning signs that predicted violence that occurred within six months — many of them having to do with entitlement, arrogance, control and emotional immaturity.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Their attitude, their smugness was palpable.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Just as in real life when a too-good singer gets the mic at karaoke, the scene has a certain smugness.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Investors' complacency in the face of steep downside risks has more strategists turning bearish on the stock market.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
-
To Reitzes, the preponderance of buy ratings on the stock reflects complacency on the part of his Wall Street rivals.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-congratulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-congratulation. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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