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 “Stranger Things”? “The goal,” said Braque, “was not to be concerned with the reconstitution of an anecdotal fact, but with the constitution of a pictorial fact.”
From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2022
"Self-esteem, your mental health is at risk," Ferdinand said.
From BBC • Sep. 9, 2021
Self-esteem derived only from others’ approval is not actual self-esteem; it’s social wallpaper.
From Slate • Jun. 7, 2021
“It’s not needed any more. Self-esteem has been restored to those people in need.”
From The Guardian • Oct. 5, 2019
Looking at the occiput, we find below Self-esteem or Pride, which was correctly located, the organs of Self-confidence, Love of Power, and Arrogance, extending down the median line to the cerebellum.
From Buchanan's Journal of Man, November 1887 Volume 1, Number 10 by Buchanan, Joseph R. (Joseph Rodes)
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.
