proud
Americanadjective
-
prouder,
comparative
-
proudest
superlative
-
feeling pleasure or satisfaction over something regarded as highly honorable or creditable to oneself (often followed by of, an infinitive, or a clause).
- Synonyms:
- self-satisfied, contented
- Antonyms:
- dissatisfied
-
having, proceeding from, or showing a high opinion of one's own dignity, importance, or superiority.
- Synonyms:
- presumptuous, imperious, disdainful, self-important, overbearing
- Antonyms:
- humble
-
having or showing self-respect or self-esteem.
-
highly gratifying to the feelings or self-esteem.
It was a proud day for him when his son entered college.
-
highly honorable or creditable.
a proud achievement.
- Antonyms:
- dishonorable
-
stately, majestic, or magnificent.
proud cities.
- Antonyms:
- lowly, impoverished, mean
-
of lofty dignity or distinction.
a proud name; proud nobles.
-
Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. pleased; happy.
I'm proud to meet you.
-
full of vigor and spirit.
a proud young stallion.
-
Obsolete. brave.
idioms
adjective
-
pleased or satisfied, as with oneself, one's possessions, achievements, etc, or with another person, his or her achievements, qualities, etc
-
feeling honoured or gratified by or as if by some distinction
-
having an inordinately high opinion of oneself; arrogant or haughty
-
characterized by or proceeding from a sense of pride
a proud moment
-
having a proper sense of self-respect
-
stately or distinguished
-
bold or fearless
-
(of a surface, edge, etc) projecting or protruding from the surrounding area
-
(of animals) restive or excited, esp sexually; on heat
adverb
Synonym Usage
Proud, arrogant, haughty imply a consciousness of, or a belief in, one's superiority in some respect. Proud implies sensitiveness, lofty self-respect, or jealous preservation of one's dignity, station, and the like. It may refer to an affectionate admiration of or a justifiable pride concerning someone else: proud of his son. Arrogant applies to insolent or overbearing behavior, arising from an exaggerated belief in one's importance: arrogant rudeness. Haughty implies lofty reserve and confident, often disdainful assumption of superiority over others: the haughty manner of the butler in the play.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of proud
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English prūd, prūt “arrogant” (cognate with Old Norse prūthr “stately, fine”), apparently from Vulgar Latin; compare Old French prud, prod “gallant, virtuous,” Late Latin prōde “profitable, useful,” from prōde est, back formation of Latin prōdest “it is beneficial, useful,” from Latin prōdesse “to be useful, profit”
Explanation
When you are proud, you are feeling pride, or satisfaction with yourself. The word proud can also mean too much of this feeling––sometimes saying someone is proud is the same as saying they're arrogant. It's also possible to feel proud of someone else. If your best friend gets the lead in the school play, you may find yourself feeling as happy for him as if you'd got the lead yourself. When you graduate from college, your "proud parents" will want to be there to watch. The maxim "Pride comes before a fall" plays on the fact that when you are proud of what you have, you are also at risk: having something means you have something to lose.
Vocabulary lists containing proud
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 4
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"Death, be not proud" by John Donne
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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.
See Examples For:
In honesty, that probably would have made me proud.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
He is proud that at all his previous clubs he is remembered fondly and made a positive impact on and off the pitch.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
I think in the old days she was proud of me being successful in having my dream of becoming an actor come true.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
"We are so proud of how hard Sydney fought and for sharing her journey with so many people," Towle's family said in a statement.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Every time I had set a trap I had been proud of the way I had done it, but on that day I was especially proud.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
And Gregg told his son he couldn’t be happier about or prouder of how things have worked out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
I was proud of him for pivoting to pizza, prouder still for how, as we were heading home, he told me that he felt “peaceful, happy, confident, and love.”
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
"I cannot be prouder and happier from what I saw out there, especially how we lived the last 72 hours," Arteta said.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
It could very well be your legacy — a career-defining performance, and you couldn’t be prouder.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2026
White Durham was proud of the Mutual’s record, and, perhaps, even prouder of its own pride in it.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Asked what made him proudest of his father, Hunter Biden pointed not to his years in public office but to his resilience.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
José Caballero has spent his entire career cultivating a reputation as the sport’s proudest pest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Back home in ’45, he told the townspeople who had gathered to greet him: “The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
“I served on that Board of Supervisors for 17 years, and it’s one of my proudest pieces of public policy,” Peskin said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
The defeated soldiers tossed their muskets onto a growing mountain of surrendered weapons, a scene that would go down as one of America’s proudest moments.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
