self-flattering

adjective

Definition of self-flatteringnext
as in narcissistic

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of self-flattering Might there be a hint of something vain, or self-flattering in that charm? — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 Convert a self-flattering remark into a mixture of both humility-based and complaint-based. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024 The notion that history is a story of progress is another self-flattering illusion. — Helena Rosenblatt, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Sugimoto’s ecoformalism consists in challenging this self-flattering intuition. — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-flattering
  1. narcissistic
  2. egocentric
  3. hubristic
  4. conceited
  5. egotistic
  6. smug
  7. egoistic
  8. complacent
Adjective
  • James is every ambitious director threatening to topple this town in a narcissistic quest to create the ultimate special effects epic.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • The decisions made by the narcissistic leader will primarily be to their benefit.
    — Gregory Stebbins, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of narcissistic
Adjective
  • It is used in systems like EgoMimic and EMMA to train manipulation policies from egocentric human data.
    — Rushil Agarwal, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • In less than a year, several firms have cropped up in India that recruit people to record first-person or egocentric videos.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 25 June 2026
Definition of egocentric
Adjective
  • By chance, Rhaena arrives at the Gullet on dragonback just in time to make the same hubristic mistake as her sister and her cousin, all suffering from the delusion that the war needs them.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026
  • The Iraq War’s neoconservative architects suffered from a hubristic faith in American power and their own righteousness.
    — George Packer, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
Definition of hubristic
Adjective
  • Avoid Burying Praise in Negatives To avoid making children too conceited, parents might bury praise in the midst of negatives.
    — Wayne Parker, Parents, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The Pitt definitely feels like the type of workplace where conceited doctors-in-training are pretty much guaranteed to quickly get knocked down a peg.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Definition of conceited
Adjective
  • Éanna Hardwicke, meanwhile, is similarly impressive as the hothead whose national pride manifests itself in the most egotistical ways.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Is this the same guy who Real Madrid fans think is too posh to press, too egotistical to work for his team-mates, too distracted by fame to bleed for the shirt?
    — Matt Slater, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of egotistic
Adjective
  • Historian Sandgruber describes how Alois Hitler wrote his 1895 letters in a deeply smug, anti-clerical manner that overestimated his abilities.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026
  • Li at times plays Cola with a smug impetuousness that belies her naivety about this world to a satisfying degree.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 17 June 2026
Definition of smug
Adjective
  • Three hundred high school players gather at a remote facility to compete in ruthless trials where only one will emerge as the world’s greatest and most egoistic striker.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of egoistic
Adjective
  • Riders, bicycle-makers, drivers, pedestrians and lawmakers need to have their heads on swivels, as some have been too complacent about the dangers.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
  • This is not the time to get complacent.
    — Lisa Rivera, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
Definition of complacent

Browse Nearby Words

self-flagellation
self-flattering
self-forgetful
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Cite this Entry

“Self-flattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-flattering. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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