1
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
2
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
3
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
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Recent Examples of self-esteem
This change often lowers your self-esteem.
—
Emrah Cinik, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026
Jackson traveled the country preaching self-esteem and self-discipline.
—Johanna Neuman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
All Alesia can feel, though, is a blow to her self-esteem.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Feeling stigmatized can quietly erode self-esteem, increase anxiety and change how people behave in everyday settings.
—Emily Tanner, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-esteem
Emrah Cinik, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026
Jackson traveled the country preaching self-esteem and self-discipline.
—Johanna Neuman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
All Alesia can feel, though, is a blow to her self-esteem.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Feeling stigmatized can quietly erode self-esteem, increase anxiety and change how people behave in everyday settings.
—Emily Tanner, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-esteem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-esteem
Noun
-
There's so much pride in Target and there's so much excitement to get this company back to growth.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Burke oozes with pride when sharing stories about the historical restaurant, which sits in the heart of Mount Lookout Square.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The true implications of the blast marks on Russia's rocketry ego remained vague.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
4 Mar. 2026
-
In a way, their books are about male ego.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Want to improve your communication, confidence and success at work?—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The spectrum of sentiment has been wide in the Gulf over the past couple of days, from quiet confidence to outright panic.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Twenty years later, in a twist fit for Hollywood itself, the tiny studio once brushed off as a billionaire scion’s vanity project is poised to be an entertainment behemoth.—
Matt Sedensky,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The complaints weren’t just about vanity sizing.—
Marisa McMillan,
Outside,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
An expert shares tips to help your children develop self-esteem and self-confidence.—
Emily Edlynn,
Parents,
28 Feb. 2026
-
What separates Whitney from a Tom Ripley is that Tom struggles with self-confidence and taking up too much oxygen in a room.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The masses, demeaned and starved, see in tyranny a tantalizing elixir of equality and self-respect, which will liberate them from élite domination and deliver them from want and anxieties.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Always uphold truth; self-respect comes from keeping integrity tight.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Anthropic sought assurance that its technology would not be tapped for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance, but the DOD wanted Anthropic to grant the agency unfettered access to Claude across all lawful purposes.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
-
But even after those assurances, the Select Board is holding on tight to its March 17 deadline to issue an entertainment license for FIFA to hold the World Cup at Gillette.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Lakers didn’t help themselves by losing their composure.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
May 21 – June 20 Certain current messages demand extra composure when communicated.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-esteem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-esteem. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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