as in embarrassed
concerned with the way one is perceived by others
He used to feel self-conscious about his belly.
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Recent Examples of self-conscious
Excuse the cynicism, but this is the sort of combination of touchy-feely button-pushing and self-conscious peculiarity that’s meant to seem significant and profound that will bring out your inner rom-com Grinch.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Surgeries, hair loss, or scars can leave young women feeling self-conscious during a period of life when many of their friends are focused on starting relationships or families.
—Julie Scott, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
Advanced students can find the famous tape of them performing at a Harvard mixer, doing a cute song about how self-conscious everyone felt around the opposite sex.
—Brett Milano, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Soboleva was self-conscious at first, screaming in public.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-conscious
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Surgeries, hair loss, or scars can leave young women feeling self-conscious during a period of life when many of their friends are focused on starting relationships or families.
—Julie Scott, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
Advanced students can find the famous tape of them performing at a Harvard mixer, doing a cute song about how self-conscious everyone felt around the opposite sex.
—Brett Milano, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Soboleva was self-conscious at first, screaming in public.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-conscious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-conscious
Adjective
-
Farhood enrolled at a local community college and worked multiple serving jobs, playing around with makeup and sharing images of just her eyes to a personal Instagram account — too embarrassed that her friends might find out about her hobby.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
But after his team was embarrassed in Ottawa, Sturm had a good feeling about is players.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rather than offering peace of mind from pest invasion, the chemical control process often leaves families feeling uneasy about what has been introduced so indiscriminately into their environment.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Cuomo led early polls, buoyed by name recognition and a coalition of moderate Democrats uneasy with the party’s leftward drift.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
My seat is hard and uncomfortable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Whoever dispatched that ambulance might be one of many employees at the Department of Emergency Communications who have felt uncomfortable, yelled at and trapped between their calling to help people and what several current and former dispatchers have called a hostile work environment.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-conscious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-conscious. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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