1
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
the boxer's flamboyant self-importance often made for a colorful prefight press conference
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
her overbearing self-importance has given her a sense of entitlement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-importance
The thought was that to meet something with a laugh was the same thing as defanging it, a fearful humor inflated with American self-importance.
—
Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
The story is a grim reminder that every narcissist needs their own Echo, a loyal admirer who reinforces their delusions and self-importance.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Pritzker and his staff’s ambitions for higher office have contributed to self-importance and a hypersensitivity to criticism, some sources have said.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
Psychologists call this a hallmark of grandiose narcissism, a trait characterized by self-importance and a deep need for validation.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
In the end, the movie delivers an official narrative, sufficiently heroic—with sanitized flaws calibrated to modern tastes for ambiguity and irony, such as self-importance, cantankerousness, even romantic deceit.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2024
But unlike the relative low-budget kicks of his previous two films, Glass has lots of portentous self-importance that the movie never quite earns.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024
The arrogance and self-importance are off the charts.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2024
But even Murphy’s prestige projects seem to have swapped sincerity for self-importance.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
The story is a grim reminder that every narcissist needs their own Echo, a loyal admirer who reinforces their delusions and self-importance.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Pritzker and his staff’s ambitions for higher office have contributed to self-importance and a hypersensitivity to criticism, some sources have said.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
Psychologists call this a hallmark of grandiose narcissism, a trait characterized by self-importance and a deep need for validation.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
In the end, the movie delivers an official narrative, sufficiently heroic—with sanitized flaws calibrated to modern tastes for ambiguity and irony, such as self-importance, cantankerousness, even romantic deceit.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2024
But unlike the relative low-budget kicks of his previous two films, Glass has lots of portentous self-importance that the movie never quite earns.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024
The arrogance and self-importance are off the charts.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2024
But even Murphy’s prestige projects seem to have swapped sincerity for self-importance.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-importance
Noun
-
Most are due to unnecessary escalation, creating disengagement, authoritative behaviors, arrogance and ego.—
Joao Mendes-Roter,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Musk’s casual Friday attire just shows his arrogance and disrespect for American government.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Although technology is a ubiquitous part of this production, the piece has practically nothing to say about it, other than acknowledging its mere existence — technology is related to vanity, and a front-facing selfie camera is like a mirror.—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
-
That has real implications for brand deals and CPM negotiations — but risks creating a new layer of noise and vanity metrics in the creator economy.—
Ian Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The hypocrisies of what might be called humanity’s delusions of superiority suggest the need for deeper questioning.—
Billy J. Stratton,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2025
-
His superiority was self-evident, like the rays of the sun.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Of course, there are cases where a healthy ego is necessary.—
Stephanie Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Consider: One of the key reasons Salke was hired away from NBC seven years ago was because she was known as a talent-friendly exec who knew how to massage the egos of the writers, actors, and producers who keep Hollywood running.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Manoj Ji’s works ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Listen to this article GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Todd Golden doesn’t talk much about his Jewish faith, but takes tremendous pride in his heritage.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-importance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-importance. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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