SELF-ADMIRATION Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

self-admiration

noun

ˌself-ˌad-mə-ˈrā-shən

Definition of self-admiration

as in vanity

an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements his overweening self-admiration blinded him to constructive criticism of any kind

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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.

Recent Examples of self-admiration Most of the film plays out in something close to real time, and the directors, loath to hurry scenes along, slow the action down with a technical virtuosity that sometimes tilts into self-admiration. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025 At first, Oliver meekly and gratefully laps up, metaphorically, the warm milk of affection that the family bestows on him between their rounds of backbiting and oblivious self-admiration. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-admiration

Noun

Rather than through a cold call or email, the scammers lure them through websites offering self-publishing or vanity publishing.

— Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
And the angelic youth Dorian Gray’s deadly descent into vanity and vice—ignited by a hubristic obsession with his own image—eerily foreshadows the grim trajectory of Wilde’s later years.

— Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of vanity

Noun

Both teams now limp into Saturday's game in Austin with bruised bodies and egos, and carrying a whiff of desperation for a win to keep the season from unraveling.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Did that feel like a parody of my ego, or also a way to make fun of it?

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of ego

Noun

An America that seeks justice with dignity and wisdom, not arrogance and gore.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
These fascinating, illuminating episodes raise the question of whether great fiction requires the kind of single-mindedness and even arrogance that McCarthy cultivated.

— New York Times, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrogance

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“Self-admiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-admiration. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-admiration

noun

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