self-esteem
Americannoun
-
a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect.
- Antonyms:
- diffidence
-
an inordinately or exaggeratedly favorable impression of oneself.
Her self-esteem can sometimes be very annoying.
- Antonyms:
- diffidence
noun
-
respect for or a favourable opinion of oneself
-
an unduly high opinion of oneself; vanity
Related Words
See pride.
Etymology
Origin of self-esteem
First recorded in 1650–60
Compare meaning
How does self-esteem compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
How you feel about yourself — your self-worth or your pride in yourself — is called self-esteem. It may be a blow to your self-esteem, for example, to find out you didn't get chosen for the scholarship you applied for. The "esteem" part of self-esteem comes from the Latin verb aestimare, meaning to value. The "self" part is self-explanatory, referring to you, yourself. So think of self-esteem as how you value yourself. If you think everything you do is wonderful and deserves praise, you have no self-esteem problems, but if you feel like you are not worthy of good things, you may have low self-esteem.
Vocabulary lists containing self-esteem
"Hip-Hop as Culture" and "I Am Somebody"
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"Speaking Up"
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"My Left Foot" and "Success Is a Mind-Set"
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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.
Self esteem and self belief came from that.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2023
Self esteem or simple lack of hands-on experience might mean it never really enters the minds of many who could be extremely capable if supported.
From BBC • Aug. 28, 2012
Self esteem doesn't seem to have been kept back by the drought.
From Punchinello, Volume 2, No. 29, October 15, 1870 by Various
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.
