self-gratulatory

adjective

Definition of self-gratulatorynext
as in self-adulatory

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-gratulatory
  1. confident
  2. self-assured
  3. self-confident
  4. selfish
  5. self-congratulatory
  6. overconfident
Adjective
  • In the long run, leaders are confident the 19 new boats will prove suitable replacements for the Ohios.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • These signals, coupled with the Jassy masterclass, made the market feel more confident that capex from the spenders hasn't peaked yet, which is good for the vendors.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of confident
Adjective
  • But in periods of rapid change, leaders who earn trust are rarely the most self-assured.
    — Rochelle Blease, Forbes.com, 29 July 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 self-assured
Adjective
  • There’s no shortage of people who work in TV news who are extremely self-confident.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
  • First, Gibson is a self-confident if nerdy music therapist — and a wannabe pop composer — as George.
    — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
Definition of self-confident
Adjective
  • Your co-workers need to watch out for themselves, but this shouldn’t be seen as selfish.
    — Dr. Cynthia J. Young, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Erika is manipulative and selfish; Elliot doesn’t respect her boundaries either.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of selfish
Adjective
  • Where season three frustrated with its aimless pacing, its unruly plotting, its self-congratulatory strain of goodness, new showrunner Jack Burditt (30 Rock, Modern Family) dials back the worst of the show’s excesses.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Trump’s twenty-five-minute address, delivered from the East Room, had the self-congratulatory air of a State of the Union speech without the accompanying props—cheering lawmakers, unsmiling Justices, celebrity guests.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of self-congratulatory
Adjective
  • Even current geopolitical miscalculations can reinforce skepticism toward overconfident, short-horizon initiatives.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • As for which generations are most overconfident in their repair abilities?
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 1 July 2026
Definition of overconfident
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.

Browse Nearby Words

self-government
self-gratulatory
self-hate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-gratulatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-gratulatory. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gnomic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All