proud
Americanadjective
-
feeling pleasure or satisfaction over something regarded as highly honorable or creditable to oneself (often followed by of, an infinitive, or a clause).
- Synonyms:
- self-satisfied, contented
- Antonyms:
- dissatisfied
-
having, proceeding from, or showing a high opinion of one's own dignity, importance, or superiority.
- Synonyms:
- presumptuous, imperious, disdainful, self-important, overbearing
- Antonyms:
- humble
-
having or showing self-respect or self-esteem.
-
highly gratifying to the feelings or self-esteem.
It was a proud day for him when his son entered college.
-
highly honorable or creditable.
a proud achievement.
- Antonyms:
- dishonorable
-
stately, majestic, or magnificent.
proud cities.
- Antonyms:
- lowly, impoverished, mean
-
of lofty dignity or distinction.
a proud name; proud nobles.
-
Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. pleased; happy.
I'm proud to meet you.
-
full of vigor and spirit.
a proud young stallion.
-
Obsolete. brave.
idioms
adjective
-
pleased or satisfied, as with oneself, one's possessions, achievements, etc, or with another person, his or her achievements, qualities, etc
-
feeling honoured or gratified by or as if by some distinction
-
having an inordinately high opinion of oneself; arrogant or haughty
-
characterized by or proceeding from a sense of pride
a proud moment
-
having a proper sense of self-respect
-
stately or distinguished
-
bold or fearless
-
(of a surface, edge, etc) projecting or protruding from the surrounding area
-
(of animals) restive or excited, esp sexually; on heat
adverb
Related Words
Proud, arrogant, haughty imply a consciousness of, or a belief in, one's superiority in some respect. Proud implies sensitiveness, lofty self-respect, or jealous preservation of one's dignity, station, and the like. It may refer to an affectionate admiration of or a justifiable pride concerning someone else: proud of his son. Arrogant applies to insolent or overbearing behavior, arising from an exaggerated belief in one's importance: arrogant rudeness. Haughty implies lofty reserve and confident, often disdainful assumption of superiority over others: the haughty manner of the butler in the play.
Other Word Forms
- proudly adverb
- proudness noun
- unproud adjective
Etymology
Origin of proud
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English prūd, prūt “arrogant” (cognate with Old Norse prūthr “stately, fine”), apparently from Vulgar Latin; compare Old French prud, prod “gallant, virtuous,” Late Latin prōde “profitable, useful,” from prōde est, back formation of Latin prōdest “it is beneficial, useful,” from Latin prōdesse “to be useful, profit”
Explanation
When you are proud, you are feeling pride, or satisfaction with yourself. The word proud can also mean too much of this feeling––sometimes saying someone is proud is the same as saying they're arrogant. It's also possible to feel proud of someone else. If your best friend gets the lead in the school play, you may find yourself feeling as happy for him as if you'd got the lead yourself. When you graduate from college, your "proud parents" will want to be there to watch. The maxim "Pride comes before a fall" plays on the fact that when you are proud of what you have, you are also at risk: having something means you have something to lose.
Vocabulary lists containing proud
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 4
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"Death, be not proud" by John Donne
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Shout-out to Calabasas for a great race, but this is our spotlight. This is a proud moment for us and the boys.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
“I’m proud to call myself the space plumber,” Koch said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
Two women who have helped to feed "tens of thousands" of children said they are proud of how they are helping families deal with the cost of living crisis.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
“We are proud of what we achieved in this negotiation, made possible by your support,” said WGA’s negotiating committee in a statement to members.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Mr. Munson was so proud of that thing, he washed and polished it every day till it glowed in the dark.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
