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self-congratulation

American

[self-kuhn-grach-uh-lay-shuhn, -graj-, -kuhng-, self-] / ˈsɛlf kənˌgrætʃ əˈleɪ ʃən, -ˌgrædʒ-, -kəŋ-, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

the expression or feeling of uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's own accomplishment, good fortune, etc.; complacency.

self-congratulation British

noun

the state or an instance of congratulating or being pleased with oneself

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of self-congratulation

First recorded in 1705–15

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.

See Examples For:

self-congratulation

Or can we light a sparkler and genuinely enjoy a rare moment of earned self-congratulation this weekend?

From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2026

You have avoided great depths of despair and panic, and even greater heights of self-congratulation and ecstasy.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026

The self-congratulation went down badly with some of his audience, according to the people close to Lloyd’s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025

The Academy Awards are not just an evening of self-congratulation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2025

We wished to defend; we demanded confrontation; we felt all the transports of issueless rage, thinking of the rebels and their cries of self-congratulation.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023