as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
so many of the Web site's self-portraits give the impression of clueless self-satisfaction
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Recent Examples of self-satisfaction
There should be no smug self-satisfaction in the destructive power of bombs and deafening explosions.
—
Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
My disappointment in Vigil came down to the waste of a perfect setup for exhibiting the worldly redemption of art—that is, its power to redeem us from insensitivity and self-satisfaction.
—Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
There’s a fine line between righteousness and self-satisfaction, and the second season, which premieres on HBO Max on January 8, frequently stumbles into the latter territory.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
Enmired in the self-satisfactions and unnamed timidities of childhood, Galinda finds in herself neither canniness nor the need to cultivate it.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 30 Nov. 2025
Enmired in the self-satisfactions and unnamed timidities of childhood, Galinda finds in herself neither canniness nor the need to cultivate it.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
After a precise drone and cruise missile successfully hit Saudi Arabia’s vital oil infrastructure in September 2019, Russia could hardly conceal its delight and self-satisfaction.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Trump himself personifies stupidity’s essential feature — self-satisfaction, an inability to recognize the flaws in your thinking.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Just as there’s no dramatic build-up to Maria landing the part, there’s no romance to the process of acting it, nor the slightest whiff of self-satisfaction in recreating iconic scenes.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 21 Mar. 2025
Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
My disappointment in Vigil came down to the waste of a perfect setup for exhibiting the worldly redemption of art—that is, its power to redeem us from insensitivity and self-satisfaction.
—Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
There’s a fine line between righteousness and self-satisfaction, and the second season, which premieres on HBO Max on January 8, frequently stumbles into the latter territory.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
Enmired in the self-satisfactions and unnamed timidities of childhood, Galinda finds in herself neither canniness nor the need to cultivate it.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 30 Nov. 2025
Enmired in the self-satisfactions and unnamed timidities of childhood, Galinda finds in herself neither canniness nor the need to cultivate it.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
After a precise drone and cruise missile successfully hit Saudi Arabia’s vital oil infrastructure in September 2019, Russia could hardly conceal its delight and self-satisfaction.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Trump himself personifies stupidity’s essential feature — self-satisfaction, an inability to recognize the flaws in your thinking.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Just as there’s no dramatic build-up to Maria landing the part, there’s no romance to the process of acting it, nor the slightest whiff of self-satisfaction in recreating iconic scenes.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 21 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-satisfaction
Noun
-
Over the vanity hung a neon sign in curlicue magenta script.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Here there are a dual sink vanity, a roomy shower, and a soaking tub.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
In an era when youth sports can sometimes feel corrupted by money, pressure and adult ego, the Lee Corso Legacy Fund serves as a reminder of what sports are supposed to be about in the first place.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
-
And today, as young fighters begin to be compared to him, there is no ego—only gratitude.—
Jorge Ebro
May 6,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
But nothing has replaced the void left by mining, which, though dangerous and poorly paid, galvanized those who descended into the earth with working-class pride and purpose.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
-
For Sandra De Anda, the network coordinator for Orange County Rapid Response Network, which connects immigrants to legal help and runs a hotline to report ICE sightings, the poll results are a source of pride.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The arrogance here, however, is the gunman’s.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The doctor further explained that the traits of a narcissist encompass low empathy, arrogance, entitlement, grandiosity and pathological selfishness.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Excitement—and smugness—hangs in London’s air since the city has gained its own outpost of the sceney eatery.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Their attitude, their smugness was palpable.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-satisfaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-satisfaction. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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