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
No longer was the show building season-long plots around how megachurch culture has helped turn modern-day Christianity into a hotbed of self-congratulation and greed; that was now subtext.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2025
At what should be a moment of self-congratulation, however, the foundation, which gives away $9 billion each year, is facing grave threats to both its work and its future.
—Theodore Schleifer, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Some progress is being made, and ongoing self-congratulations are occurring.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
All that and a certain culture of self-congratulation at Choose Chicago and a bit of Midwestern myopia, too.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Instead, Americans got a speech completely detached from reality full of self-congratulations.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
Oftentimes, these calls can be filled with fluff and self-congratulations — sometimes well-deserved, other times less so.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025
In a night full of self-congratulation, Chu’s speech was maybe the most self-congratulatory, somehow trying to make the case that the film was saving the world and also about … radical optimism?
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
There’s a constant and consistent need for self-congratulation that dampens the research on display here.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2025
At what should be a moment of self-congratulation, however, the foundation, which gives away $9 billion each year, is facing grave threats to both its work and its future.
—Theodore Schleifer, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Some progress is being made, and ongoing self-congratulations are occurring.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
All that and a certain culture of self-congratulation at Choose Chicago and a bit of Midwestern myopia, too.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Instead, Americans got a speech completely detached from reality full of self-congratulations.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
Oftentimes, these calls can be filled with fluff and self-congratulations — sometimes well-deserved, other times less so.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025
In a night full of self-congratulation, Chu’s speech was maybe the most self-congratulatory, somehow trying to make the case that the film was saving the world and also about … radical optimism?
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
There’s a constant and consistent need for self-congratulation that dampens the research on display here.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-congratulation
Noun
-
As its name implies, the Emotional Support lip balm ($24), is anything but a vanity project.—
Dahvi Shira,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
According to nutritionist Payal Kothari, author of The Gut, the rise of the high-protein diet has been driven by a mix of vanity and virality.—
Sara Hussain,
Vogue,
12 May 2025
Noun
-
My coat and my ego were a bit tarnished as my husband rushed to help me up.—
James Barron,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
-
Also, any shred of ego one has left after a lifetime of motherhood and being a caregiver/support person will get completely zeroed out while milling around a bunch of athletes.—
Denise Snodell,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
The crowd erupted in applause, the Chicago Tribune reported, as a wave of pride swept over the city’s Catholic community.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
11 May 2025
-
Hudson has been vocal about her pride in her family and their New England fisherman roots.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
10 May 2025
Noun
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The Knicks have pulled it off by being resilient, near perfect in spurts and with the help of arrogance from the opponent.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
One of the critical lessons of World War II was the cost of complacency.—
Lt. General Leon Scott Rice,
Boston Herald,
7 May 2025
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The trailer opens with a couple seemingly struggling with their relationship, like issues of complacency and feelings of real love, after moving into a new home.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-congratulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-congratulation. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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