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
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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
Unkind words and thoughts from your harshest critic (yourself) are all too common, especially for women, and their effects can diminish mood, confidence and self-esteem while positive ones can have the opposite impact.
—
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 26 Mar. 2026
Seeing changes from our efforts can boost our self-esteem, morale for our community, and our sense of agency in making change at a larger scale.
—Essence, 26 Mar. 2026
Lee said the benefits of art camp include boosts in self-esteem, building friendships, learning to work as a team, and learning to make a mess and clean up after themselves.
—Gqlshare, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026
To raise their self-esteem, raise their self-worth, teach them how to focus their lives in the proper way, in the most positive way.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-esteem
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 26 Mar. 2026
Seeing changes from our efforts can boost our self-esteem, morale for our community, and our sense of agency in making change at a larger scale.
—Essence, 26 Mar. 2026
Lee said the benefits of art camp include boosts in self-esteem, building friendships, learning to work as a team, and learning to make a mess and clean up after themselves.
—Gqlshare, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026
To raise their self-esteem, raise their self-worth, teach them how to focus their lives in the proper way, in the most positive way.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-esteem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-esteem
Noun
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Across the city, tattoo shops are marking the occasion by turning that pride into permanent art.—
Loureen Ayyoub,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Mitchell’s achievements are a source of pride for his parents.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Watching a prodigy embarrass the world over 72 holes was riveting; equally captivating is following the same person be exposed by life, hubris and ego.—
Mac Engel
April 9,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
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Their iconic Full-On Plumping Lip Polish is designed to unleash your sexy alter-ego and stimulate your senses.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Beyond the financial impact, there's also damage to donor confidence.—
Kelly Werthmann,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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Dan Campbell said the quiet part out loud, a bit unprompted, when asked about his confidence level in potentially moving star right tackle Penei Sewell to left tackle.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Xiarhos says this time around feels different because of a special new Massachusetts vanity license plate that benefits K-9s and their caretakers.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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Accessories include vanity bags, bowling bags and thong sandals.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For business leaders, Townshend’s decision to trust his own voice is the kind of self-confidence that defines the most successful leaders.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
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So, it's been really nice to get a lot of self-confidence back, realizing a lot of self-growth and just being open.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ground your choices in self-respect.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Apr. 2026
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From writer-director John Carney (Sing Street, Once), Power Ballad is a feel-good story about music, self-respect, friendship, and the price of ambition.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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With assurances of an immunity deal, David Wiley met with investigators at his attorney's office.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Such assurances are unlikely to quell the community’s decades-long experience with polluted runoff, however, and small farmers say that runoff could also present a food safety problem and threaten to set back years of organic farming practices.—
Thomas Heaton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Bruins tied the score early in the third period and pushed for about the next 10 minutes, but the Flyers, buoyed by 18 saves from Dan Vladar, maintained their composure and eventually pushed back.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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For entrepreneurs, confidence and bold vision can be assets, but only when paired with openness and composure.—
Paul Sanchez Ruiz,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-esteem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-esteem. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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