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 directly clashes with Cooper's Chiron in Virgo — also in her second house, pointing to an underlying vulnerability around worth, whether financially, professionally or even self-esteem.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Amanda oozes pick-me energy, unable to build self-esteem from within, instead begging for validation through desirability, something that will always be a slippery slope for someone in a monogamous relationship.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Specifically, pet owners enjoyed greater self-esteem, exercised more, were more conscientious and less fearful of forming attachments.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Positive self-talk is highly correlated with things like confidence, self-esteem, and feelings of competence.
—Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-esteem
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Amanda oozes pick-me energy, unable to build self-esteem from within, instead begging for validation through desirability, something that will always be a slippery slope for someone in a monogamous relationship.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Specifically, pet owners enjoyed greater self-esteem, exercised more, were more conscientious and less fearful of forming attachments.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Positive self-talk is highly correlated with things like confidence, self-esteem, and feelings of competence.
—Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-esteem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-esteem
Noun
-
When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Fahey provided her own source of pride, too.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But that order is built on ego, not psychology.—
Daren Smith,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In a rollicking monologue, Fry described all opera as comedy, tragedy merely being the result of idiotic egos incapable of levity.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The speed with which some fan confidence in him has eroded was, nevertheless, unprecedented considering no Liverpool manager (or in Slot’s case, head coach) has delivered the league title at the end of their first season since Kenny Dalglish in 1985-86.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Money, confidence or themes surrounding you are under the microscope today, asking you to stop settling for less.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over the vanity hung a neon sign in curlicue magenta script.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Here there are a dual sink vanity, a roomy shower, and a soaking tub.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Many people started talking about cosmetic surgery as a personal desire, a way to build self-confidence.—
Rheana Murray,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
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Gardening fosters life skills, such as teamwork, patience, self-confidence and responsibility.—
Shelley Mitchell,
The Conversation,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The pic is billed as being a feel-good story about music, self-respect, friendship, and the price of ambition.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Ground your choices in self-respect.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And, Muller said, there is no assurance Republicans would march in lockstep behind a plan to prevent the seating of Democrats.—
Mark Barabak,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
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Somehow, McCarthy’s assurance makes these clichés seem new again, donning them as naturally as O’Connell’s gawky bellboy wearing an old-fashioned red cap.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Quattro system distributes power seamlessly and even on tighter downhill switchbacks, the vehicle maintained composure.—
Chris Jackson,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Mendoza wins with command, accuracy, red-zone efficiency and grown-man composure.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-esteem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-esteem. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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