self-congratulation

noun

ˌself-kən-ˌgra-chə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce self-congratulation (audio)
Definition of self-congratulationnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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-congratulation Anima's version involves more effort and less self-congratulation. — Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2026 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 That is why this moment demands smarter policy choices, not self-congratulation. — Editorial, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-congratulation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-congratulation
  1. vanity
  2. ego
  3. pride
  4. arrogance
  5. smugness
  6. complacency
Noun
  • The interest in treating hair loss extends beyond bathroom vanity.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Soll got permission to retile a bathroom and install a new vanity.
    — Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of vanity
Noun
  • Getting a 4×4 unstuck can be dirty, ego-bruising work that can also leave said 4×4 worse for wear.
    — Stephen Edelstein, The Drive, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The extent of his self-delusion and fragility of ego is beyond the pale.
    — DP Opinion, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of ego
Noun
  • There’s a lot of pride in winning the conference championship.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Our community is dying; there’s an underlying sense of desperation, grief and pride that can both protect and suffocate out of a need to survive – this film is ultimately a love letter to us, with a sense of knowing.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of pride
Noun
  • But the Workers’ Party (PT) leader, who was accused of arrogance and of failing to understand the needs of young gig-economy workers, shook up his strategy, said Igor Gielow in Folha de São Paulo.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 31 Oct. 2026
  • McVay and Snead have effectively built a culture of arrogance.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • To use satire to confirm does not bring with it dramatic excitement and risks a certain smugness of point of view.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The candidate, whose relishing of combative interviews and debates verges occasionally on smugness, was slated to potentially appear on 60 Minutes before the November election, people familiar with the planning said.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of smugness
Noun
  • In stressed markets undergoing soul-searching about the long-term bullish thesis, prices often need to travel further to find buyers with conviction while the market action must disappoint dip-buyers to extinguish complacency.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Today, experts say, the phrase is in danger of becoming synonymous with the potentially enormous costs of overconfidence, complacency, and an unwillingness to change.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of complacency

Browse Nearby Words

self-confidently
self-congratulation
self-congratulatory
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-congratulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-congratulation. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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