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self-flattering

adjective

Definition of self-flatteringnext
as in narcissistic

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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-flattering Might there be a hint of something vain, or self-flattering in that charm? — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 Sugimoto’s ecoformalism consists in challenging this self-flattering intuition. — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025 Convert a self-flattering remark into a mixture of both humility-based and complaint-based. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024 The notion that history is a story of progress is another self-flattering illusion. — Helena Rosenblatt, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-flattering
  1. narcissistic
  2. egocentric
  3. hubristic
  4. conceited
  5. egotistic
  6. smug
  7. egoistic
  8. complacent
Adjective
  • Her ex-husband, Logan (Owen McDonnell), is a narcissistic man-child, so there’s no help coming from him, nor her elderly parents (one of whom has lost two toes to diabetes).
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The actor is set to portray Gilderoy Lockhart, the narcissistic Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of narcissistic
Adjective
  • Any media outlet blindly amplifying Kimmel’s egocentric delusion should insist on proof.
    — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • This preemptive caretaking also prevents people from growing out of egocentric thinking.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of egocentric
Adjective
  • Coxon argued that corporate competition has trapped labs in a hubristic race that forces them to build dangerous systems first.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
  • That was a less triumphant, hubristic tone than his supporters were taking, up to 8 pm on Tuesday.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of hubristic
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Johnson reprises his role as Moana's bantering reluctant partner, the shapeshifting trickster demigod Maui, alongside Jemaine Clement again voicing the conceited giant crustacean Tamatoa.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 July 2026
  • Avoid Burying Praise in Negatives To avoid making children too conceited, parents might bury praise in the midst of negatives.
    — Wayne Parker, Parents, 8 Mar. 2026
Definition of conceited
Adjective
  • Through remarkable archival footage and an incredible range of interviews, Monsters of God digs into the egotistical and ruthless mentalities that supported competing criminal empires and the undercover operations that dismantled them.
    — Rory Doherty, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Where some may see this behavior as vain or egotistical, others may perceive it as bold, self-assured and passionate.
    — Mallorie Sullivan, USA Today, 20 July 2026
Definition of egotistic
Adjective
  • Similarly, Zo — seen recently as the monster hunter in Na Hong-jin’s delirious sci-fi action epic, Hope — stays for most of the running time just the right side of smug entitlement.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Historian Sandgruber describes how Alois Hitler wrote his 1895 letters in a deeply smug, anti-clerical manner that overestimated his abilities.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026
Definition of smug
Adjective
  • Three hundred high school players gather at a remote facility to compete in ruthless trials where only one will emerge as the world’s greatest and most egoistic striker.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of egoistic
Adjective
  • Top grading involves removing a leader who has grown complacent and is no longer the right match for the job and replacing them with someone who is better equipped for the new challenges in the role.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • While one team is obsessed with their new coach, Clemson seemed complacent.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of complacent

Browse Nearby Words

self-flagellation
self-flattering
self-forgetful
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Cite this Entry

“Self-flattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-flattering. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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