ego

noun

ˈē-(ˌ)gō

also ˈe-

plural egos

Synonyms of ego next

: the self especially as contrasted with another self or the world

: egotism sense 2

: self-esteem sense 1

: the one of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory that serves as the organized conscious mediator between the person and reality especially by functioning both in the perception of and adaptation to reality compare id, superego

egoless adjective

Did you know?

Ego is the Latin word for "I." So if a person seems to begin every sentence with "I", it's sometimes a sign of a big ego. It was the psychologist Sigmund Freud (well, actually his original translator) who put ego into the popular vocabulary, but what he meant by the word is complex, so only other psychologists really use it in the Freudian sense. The rest of us generally use ego simply to mean one's sense of self-worth, whether exaggerated or not. When used in the "exaggerated" sense, ego is almost the same thing as conceit. Meeting a superstar athlete without a trace of this kind of ego would be a most refreshing experience. But having a reasonable sense of your own worth is no sin. Life's little everyday victories are good—in fact, necessary—for a healthy ego.

Example Sentences

I have enough ego not to want to give up easily in any contest or competition. a star athlete with a refreshing lack of ego

Recent Examples on the Web Their egos may clash—but there’s no shortage of passion. —

Women's Health, 4 May 2023 This is also the time period when Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) brought up the idea of having kids with Shiv, and when Shiv only came around to the idea when Caroline (her mother) basically dressed her down and clearly hurt her ego. —

Evan Romano, Men's Health, 18 Apr. 2023 Attorney Gloria Allred, who has never minded breaking rules and a few egos in her campaigns for equality, broke the gender barrier at the Los Angeles Friars Club, the showbiz hangout, now closed, whose roster included Bob Hope, Sid Caesar and Billy Crystal. —

Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2023 But Javier’s presence sets off a battle of masculine ego that pushes Ante to humiliate and control his daughter even more. —

Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 3 Mar. 2023 The egos always play a big part in these different things. —

William E. Ketchum Iii, Billboard, 1 Mar. 2023 But the real difference between this gent and the other morally dodgy guys filling his IMDb page is how Howerton is tapping into a specific white-collar volatility — that kind that drives a specific type of M.B.A. ego to get things done and burn things down. —

David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2023 And not for the usual reasons – dreading bills that need paying, meetings that need scheduling, egos that need massaging. —

Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 11 May 2023 Morris said that Mamae also makes sure his ego stays in check and that success doesn’t go to his head. —

Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ego.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.