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 Improvements in these domains can lead to better self-esteem, increase in feelings of empowerment and development of a stronger sense of self. — Donnisa Edmonds, jsonline.com, 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 See All Example Sentences for self-esteem

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-esteem

Noun

But for all that pain, there was pride to be had on days that marked major changes in the country’s history, all launched from the Space Coast.

— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
For those who take pride in their pouty lips (or their ability to talk their way out of just about anything), a swipe of lipstick and nothing else is a cool way to look put together without the hustle of actually putting yourself together.

— Loren Savini, Allure, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of pride

Noun

Jonesboro is 2-0 for the first time since 2019 and should have four quarters of confidence after back-to-back one-score wins.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
To reach the quarterfinals in New York, Zheng had to accept her newfound station in tennis — not to abandon her confidence for the sake of humility, but to combine her natural self-belief with acceptance of her reality and a new perspective.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of confidence

Noun

What begins with the seeds of a vanity project organically blossoms into something that encompasses the many people Ryan’s life touches.

— Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026
Using information from witnesses and footage from Flock cameras, investigators identified the suspect vehicle as a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck with a California vanity license plate, Johnson said.

— Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 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

The optimizers have all the money; the empaths only really have one another—and the assurance, however fleeting, that there are more of us than there are of them.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
The Membership programme, launched in 2025, offers multiple tiers designed to support different levels of assurance, insight and control.

— SJ Studio, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 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