Definition

Noun: * Self-esteem, self-respect; specifically, an often excessive or sensitive pride in oneself and one's own worth. This term refers to a person's sense of self-worth and dignity. It often carries a nuance of being easily wounded or an exaggerated concern for one's own reputation and standing in the eyes of others.

Usage

"Amour propre" is used to describe a person's inner sense of pride and self-regard. It is often discussed in contexts where this pride is challenged, protected, or wounded. * It functions as a singular, uncountable noun. * It is typically modified by adjectives like wounded, hurt, injured, excessive, fragile, or national.

Examples

• His criticism wounded her amour propre deeply.
• The diplomat's primary concern was to safeguard the amour propre of his nation during the negotiations.
• He has an enormous amour propre and cannot tolerate being contradicted.
• The task was beneath his amour propre, so he refused to do it.

Advanced Usage

• Psychological/Literary Context: Frequently used in literary analysis and character studies to denote a driving force behind a character's actions, especially when they are motivated by pride or a fear of humiliation.
  • The entire plot turns on the protagonist's wounded amour propre after a public slight.
• Cultural Nuance: The term, borrowed from French, often retains a slightly formal or sophisticated tone in English, implying a nuanced, sometimes vanity-tinged, form of self-esteem.

Variants and Related Words

• Self-esteem (n): A more neutral and common term for confidence in one's own worth.
• Self-respect (n): Pride and confidence in oneself; a sense of dignity.
• Pride (n): A feeling of deep pleasure from one's own achievements or qualities (can be positive or negative).
• Vanity (n): Excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements. This is a stronger, more negative synonym.
• Ego (n): A person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance. Often used interchangeably in modern contexts.

Synonyms

• Self-regard
• Self-love
• Dignity
• Self-conceit (more negative)
• Self-importance

Idioms and Phrases

• To wound/injure someone's amour propre: To hurt someone's pride or self-esteem.
  • Losing the game to a novice injured his amour propre.
• A matter of amour propre: An issue that directly affects one's sense of pride and self-respect.
  • For him, apologizing was not just an admission of error but a matter of amour propre.

Noun

1. feelings of excessive pride