self-conscious
Americanadjective
-
excessively aware of being observed by others.
-
conscious of oneself or one's own being.
adjective
-
unduly aware of oneself as the object of the attention of others; embarrassed
-
conscious of one's existence
Usage
What does self-conscious mean? Self-conscious means overly aware of and sensitive to attention from others, often to the point of feeling anxious or embarrassed.In this sense, self-conscious is always used negatively. A person can be self-conscious in general, or about a particular aspect of themselves. Much less commonly, it is used to mean aware of one’s existence.Example: She says she never wears short-sleeved shirts because she’s self-conscious about the way her arms look.
Other Word Forms
- self-consciously adverb
- self-consciousness noun
Etymology
Origin of self-conscious
First recorded in 1670–80
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.
It may be that it was a happy one, and you merely feel a little self-conscious about your relative wealth, or your siblings might make occasional comments on what they see as conspicuous consumption.
From MarketWatch
But just one swipe down my Instagram feed reveals I'm not the only man who is self-conscious about his hair.
From BBC
“I’m trying to look at how people dress,” Negrete said, suddenly self-conscious about his short shorts.
From Los Angeles Times
Key says he was initially intimidated singing in front of Barker in the studio and had a few moments where negative, self-conscious thoughts were getting the better of him in the vocal booth during recording.
From Los Angeles Times
It’s easy for Andrew McMahon to feel self-conscious when he listens back to “Everything In Transit,” his 2005 debut album as Jack’s Mannequin.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
