inferiority complex

American  

[in-feer-ee-awr-i-tee kom-pleks, -or-] / ɪnˌfɪər iˈɔr ɪ ti ˌkɒm plɛks, -ˈɒr- /

noun

Psychology.

1. an intense feeling of inferiority or inadequacy; low self-esteem, sometimes characterized by compensatory behaviors intended to bolster self-confidence.

---

inferiority complex British  

noun

1. psychiatry a disorder arising from the conflict between the desire to be noticed and the fear of being humiliated, characterized by aggressiveness or withdrawal into oneself

---

Etymology

Origin of inferiority complex

First recorded in 1920–25

---

Compare meaning

How does inferiority-complex compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• superiority complex vs. inferiority complex

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inferiority complex

It’s an inferiority complex tempered by innovative breakthroughs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

"There was no inferiority complex from Grimsby, far from it. If anything it was the other way around."

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025

Still, other projects may conjure comparisons to the story of Rosemary Woodhouse and her husband, Guy, a man who is easily duped into a Faustian bargain thanks to his single-mindedness and inferiority complex.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2023

There can be an inferiority complex that becomes internalized when you don’t get a chance to see yourself presented to the world as beautiful.

From New York Times ● Jun. 24, 2023

I had been selfish and hyper-sensitive, a martyr to my own inferiority complex.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---