SELF-ESTEEM Synonyms: 121 Similar and Opposite Words

self-esteem

noun

ˌself-ə-ˈstēm

Definition of self-esteem

as in pride

a reasonable or justifiable sense of one's worth or importance friends and family have tried to help the shy child develop some self-esteem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ego

an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements his towering self-esteem made praise from other people entirely unnecessary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in confidence

great faith in oneself or one's abilities the kind of self-esteem that a struggling actor needs to keep going in the face of constant discouragement and rejection

Synonyms & Similar Words

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-esteem But maturing onscreen — and the endless scrutiny that came with it — led to lifelong self-esteem issues, especially after she was cast as the superhero cheerleader Claire Bennett on Heroes at 17 in 2006. — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 But her comments and obvious disdain for me are not good for my self-esteem. — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026 However, parents, social workers and shrinks got involved, saying that designating the classes hurt the students’ feelings and self-esteem. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026 Overcoming these difficulties notably increases satisfaction and self-esteem. — Tracy Brower, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-esteem

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-esteem

Noun

Harris credited his defensive line and said the team takes pride in being a hard team to run against.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
In short, Parton may not have claimed to be a feminist, but her feminist fans claimed her just the same — with pride and affection.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of pride

Noun

The fact that both quarterbacks checked their ego at the door has impressed North Stars coach Rob Pomazak.

— Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Sometimes, even when the prosecutor involved almost certainly knows something other than justice is in the works, there is a momentum of ego and bureaucracy that is hard to reverse.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of ego

Noun

In the spring, Newcastle would have listened to offers for Yoane Wissa, whose £55m signing from Brentford had proved calamitous, yet the DR Congo forward returned from the World Cup full of confidence and has begun the campaign well.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
That confidence is reflected in the scale of One Beverly Hills.

— Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of confidence

Noun

The bathroom brings that rich blue into focus with its gilded vanity and various textures.

— Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026
Nine-foot stainless-steel screens, originally designed to keep fish from swimming into dams, were reshaped into curved, airfoil-like vanity doors.

— David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of vanity

Noun

Eisenhower possessed iron discipline, sunny self-confidence and a mind that loved organizational challenges.

— John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Over time, however, the construct of critical thinking has expanded to encompass personal development, emotional reflection, and dispositional traits such as inquisitiveness, self-confidence, and maturity.

— Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of self-confidence

Noun

Of the child safety measures agreed to in Meta’s landmark legal settlement, no category contains more detailed requirements than its commitments on age assurance — and for good reason.

— Barbara Ortutay, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Anthropic wanted assurance that its technology would not be used for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance, and the DOD wanted Anthropic to grant the agency unfettered access to Claude across all lawful purposes.

— Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of assurance

Noun

The composure of Amélie, and the decidedly wild and clownish manner in which she’s painted, can’t be tamed into order, elegance, or beauty.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
The cast will put their charisma, creativity and composure to the test in a series of challenges, led and judged by PEOPLE’s editor-in-chief and general manager Charlotte Triggs and editor-at-large Janine Rubenstein.

— Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026