as in embarrassed
concerned with the way one is perceived by others
He used to feel self-conscious about his belly.
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Recent Examples of self-conscious
Growing up as a self-conscious kid in a bustling big city, Nyro learned to summon that confidence from within.
—
Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 24 May 2026
Now there is space for the remaining patients to occupy their seats without the self-conscious drawing-in of arms and legs that comes from sitting too close to a stranger.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Laith is starved for playmates and nurturing male company, self-conscious of his awkward position as the sole male in an otherwise all-female environment.
—Jay Weissberg, Variety, 17 May 2026
As anachronisms constantly threaten to puncture the illusion, the cast stays wry, nimble and self-conscious in order to locate plot points and jokes that reinforce the golden-age radio setting, scribbling notes and introducing characters that propel them through ludicrous narrative arcs.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-conscious
Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 24 May 2026
Now there is space for the remaining patients to occupy their seats without the self-conscious drawing-in of arms and legs that comes from sitting too close to a stranger.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Laith is starved for playmates and nurturing male company, self-conscious of his awkward position as the sole male in an otherwise all-female environment.
—Jay Weissberg, Variety, 17 May 2026
As anachronisms constantly threaten to puncture the illusion, the cast stays wry, nimble and self-conscious in order to locate plot points and jokes that reinforce the golden-age radio setting, scribbling notes and introducing characters that propel them through ludicrous narrative arcs.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-conscious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-conscious
Adjective
-
Jay practically embarrassed Mase, then a pop rapper at Bad Boy Records, not by screaming but by sounding amused.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
-
One partner gets a little embarrassed, but the other lightens the mood and keeps encouraging them.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
These memories of his brief, sad human life are uneasy dreams that Lestat wakes from on his tour bus as the sun sets over the road to Toledo.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
-
On top of the tense, uneasy dynamic created by the duo’s pairing, the series is wrapped in a twisty web of peripheral problems.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Still, the atmosphere was uncomfortable enough that Habermas left the institute a year later, to write his Habilitation, or second dissertation, a requirement for qualifying as a professor in German universities.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Don’t suffer through summer in uncomfortable shoes.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-conscious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-conscious. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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