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
But The Moment is too self-conscious to really commit to such silliness.
—
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
That said, international filmmaking is in feeble shape, partly because of the jambalaya of international co-productions, partly because of the inroads of television aesthetics, and partly because of the cloistered aestheticism of self-conscious art-house cinema.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
When a young Parton felt self-conscious about her homemade clothes, her mother would remind her of the Biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The book presents itself as a comic take on the classic adultery novel and a send-up of a narrow, self-conscious group of downwardly mobile New Yorkers.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-conscious
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
That said, international filmmaking is in feeble shape, partly because of the jambalaya of international co-productions, partly because of the inroads of television aesthetics, and partly because of the cloistered aestheticism of self-conscious art-house cinema.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
When a young Parton felt self-conscious about her homemade clothes, her mother would remind her of the Biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The book presents itself as a comic take on the classic adultery novel and a send-up of a narrow, self-conscious group of downwardly mobile New Yorkers.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-conscious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-conscious
Adjective
-
Better word choice than embarrassed.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
It was embarrassed by a wave of corruption, abuse and other misconduct by some of the new hires.—
Ryan J. Foley,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Though the private military firm has been credited with helping security forces get into neighborhoods and recently blew up the home of one of the country’s most notorious warlords, the presence of mercenaries operating in Haiti continues to make some lawmakers uneasy.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
-
As the pair struggles to survive the brutal Canadian backcountry, an uneasy bond forms.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the situation at the Ankara State Theater has uncomfortable parallels with the recent shuttering of the Kennedy Center in Washington in response to the artists boycotting it in protest at its rebranding.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The role of any newspaper, especially one with the long and proud legacy of The Sun, is not to smooth over uncomfortable realities in the name of civility.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-conscious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-conscious. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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