1
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
the boxer's flamboyant self-importance often made for a colorful prefight press conference
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
her overbearing self-importance has given her a sense of entitlement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-importance
Sonny was married for more than 40 years to his beloved Margo — who, as was often the case of the wives of famous/infamous men, knew exactly how and when to best burst his occasional balloon of self-importance and puffery.
—
David Aldridge, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2026
The show brought blockbuster buzz for its first season from the start and the Emmys ate it up, whether because of Hollywood’s love for stories about itself (with A-list guest stars) or the television industry’s love for stories that mock the self-importance of movie people.
—Andrew Dalton, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2025
We’d sometimes get threatened, and that only inflated our self-importance.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Late-night show hosts now have an attitude of self-importance, congratulating themselves for their work.
—Andrea Ruth, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Audiences today crave brands that prioritize substance over self-importance, and complexity and contradiction can be the very foundation of authenticity and connection.
—Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
In Roman Catholic traditions, some theologians consider pride — or the idea of unchecked self-importance or arrogance — the original and most serious sin.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 28 May 2025
David Aldridge, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2026
The show brought blockbuster buzz for its first season from the start and the Emmys ate it up, whether because of Hollywood’s love for stories about itself (with A-list guest stars) or the television industry’s love for stories that mock the self-importance of movie people.
—Andrew Dalton, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2025
We’d sometimes get threatened, and that only inflated our self-importance.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Late-night show hosts now have an attitude of self-importance, congratulating themselves for their work.
—Andrea Ruth, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Audiences today crave brands that prioritize substance over self-importance, and complexity and contradiction can be the very foundation of authenticity and connection.
—Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
In Roman Catholic traditions, some theologians consider pride — or the idea of unchecked self-importance or arrogance — the original and most serious sin.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 28 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-importance
Noun
-
Raised on a strict diet of toughness and discipline by his father, Dean arrives with undeniable talent – and an arrogance that quickly earns him enemies.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Things moved about at the top with a little more arrogance and zip but at the bottom was the ever-moving present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If there’s not enough space in your vanity to keep the counter clear, a storage cabinet is a great way to keep daily items accessible.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
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So, roughly $300 billion – a 7% gap – separates these three countries from California on this vanity scoreboard.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the contradiction, this strategy worked because elites are universally perceived as out of touch with the real world – with privileged and sheltered life experience that begets a sense of superiority.—
Alexa Beck,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The result is a battlefield where concealment is harder, decision cycles are faster, and information superiority increasingly depends on who can best collect, process, and act on what their satellites see.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But all options should be considered, using our adult egos.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Participants are urged to restrain harmful speech, dishonesty, anger and ego.—
Irfan Sarwar,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
On the men’s side, Zuccarello takes pride in his country’s 19-year streak of appearing at the World Championships, and two Norwegians — Brandsegg-Nygård (Detroit) and Stian Solberg (Anaheim) — were drafted in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Now, Bogaerts, who still keeps tabs on his old team, watches clips of Rafaela being a human highlight reel at his old stomping grounds with pride.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-importance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-importance. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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