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:
"I am so proud and I feel so privileged to do every single step that I have made in my career. Hopefully I can end up successful at home."
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
“While we are proud of the progress we have made, we are even more focused on the opportunities ahead.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
“As Manny Halley expands Imani Studios into a 125,000-square-foot production home, we’re proud to continue our partnership rooted in a shared vision to create culturally impactful entertainment and expand opportunity in our industry.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
"She made me proud to be Appalachian. She put us on the map a little bit -- a lot," Donchatz said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Whether they sprinted to the end or dragged themselves across the finish line, they were all so proud.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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 couldn’t be prouder to work alongside her,” Raman said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2026
It could very well be your legacy — a career-defining performance, and you couldn’t be prouder.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2026
"I could not be prouder of having the Mavericks come to Macao," Dumont said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 5, 2026
“I think he must be prouder of the Congo than just about any place He ever made.”
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Then there is her Imagination Library, which has reportedly distributed over 300 million books to children around the world since its launch in the late 1980s — an effort Dolly counted as her proudest achievement.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
It is a testament to Cyborg's character that - despite all the challenges and opponents she has overcome - her proudest moment is the fight she won against the glass ceiling.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
One of his proudest moments was defeating a Brazil team on its home soil.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Soccer’s proudest traditions: going out in the round of 16.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Jimmy gave him the proudest look Toby had ever seen from his old man.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
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.
