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

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Recent Examples of self-esteem The emotional effects were immediate—hurt, confusion, lowered self-esteem. — George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026 Sitting by the defense table in a wheelchair during Wednesday’s proceedings, Weinstein looked straight ahead as Haley, 49, told the court in tears that her self-esteem had been shattered by the attack and by having to relive it repeatedly. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026 In fact, one meta-analysis found that job success doesn't improve self-esteem. — Marisa G. Franco, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026 Positive discipline helps toddlers develop emotional regulation, communication skills, and self-esteem. — Cynthia Hanson, Parents, 13 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-esteem

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-esteem

Noun

Kalhammer’s Bowery Nation, which could have given its name to the exhibition, conveys the show’s intensely personal civic pride—its Campanilismo.

— J. Hoberman, ARTnews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
The new foursome watched with pride two months later as the Artemis II astronauts flew around the moon.

— Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of pride

Noun

For Weinberg, learning from those failures requires putting ego aside and taking an honest look at what went wrong—and what worked.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
His ego is in exact inverse proportion to Ilya’s, which is part of what makes Garfield and Borisov play so beautifully off each other.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of ego

Noun

Economists like Robert Lucas and Edward Prescott — who each won Nobel Prizes — challenged Keynesian economics and its confidence that government policy could effectively smooth out the economy's ups and downs.

— Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
The Moon in your sign squares Jupiter, making confidence, frustration, desire, or impatience harder to moderate.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of confidence

Noun

Rather than through a cold call or email, the scammers lure them through websites offering self-publishing or vanity publishing.

— Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
And the angelic youth Dorian Gray’s deadly descent into vanity and vice—ignited by a hubristic obsession with his own image—eerily foreshadows the grim trajectory of Wilde’s later years.

— Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of vanity

Noun

Christina Applegate is back home and prioritizing self-confidence in the latest update on her ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis.

— Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Scot’s self-confidence in genderqueer expression seems unrealistic for his age and for the times, and yuppie Sam is too perfect.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of self-confidence

Noun

The judge appeared swayed by DHS’ assurances but needed time to consider.

— Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2026
The album slides between styles surprisingly smoothly and with a remarkable assurance; a raft of collaborators contribute production (primarily Bartees Strange, Grammy winner Mike Elizondo and Avis Reese) but there’s no question who’s in charge.

— Jem Aswad, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026