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
Synonym Usage
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.
My self-esteem was in the gutter, though you wouldn’t have known it from the outside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
"Girls have described feeling sexualised or humiliated when told to 'cover up', even when that is not the intention. That experience has serious consequences for self-esteem, trust and mental health."
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
As I navigate my uncertain options, I often struggle with self-esteem.
From Slate ● May 23, 2026
After her parents’ divorce, when she was 9, her childhood was marked by nearly unendurable feelings of isolation and low self-esteem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
It doesn't pay to have too much self-esteem.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
