self-aggrandisement
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: An act or instance of making oneself appear more powerful, important, or impressive than one actually is, often through boastful statements or ambitious actions intended to increase one's own status, influence, or power.
Usage
This noun describes behavior focused on personal glorification. It is typically used in a critical or disapproving context to highlight someone's excessive and often unattractive pursuit of self-promotion. It refers to the process or the act itself.
Examples
- The politician's speech was less about policy and more about self-aggrandisement.
- His constant self-aggrandisement during meetings alienated his colleagues.
- The biography avoids mere self-aggrandisement and offers a balanced view of the artist's life.
Advanced Usage
- As an uncountable concept: Often used to describe a general tendency or pattern of behavior rather than a single act.
- The culture of the industry sometimes encourages relentless self-aggrandisement.
- In psychological or sociological analysis: Used to discuss personality traits or social dynamics related to narcissism or status-seeking.
Variants and Related Words
- Self-aggrandizement: The standard American English spelling. The meaning is identical to "self-aggrandisement" (British English spelling).
- Aggrandise/Aggrandize (verb): To increase the power, status, or wealth of. Often used with 'self' as a reflexive object (e.g., ).
- Aggrandisement/Aggrandizement (noun): The act of aggrandizing. Can be used for things other than the self (e.g., ).
Synonyms
- Self-promotion: A more neutral term for making oneself known, though it can imply a similar action.
- Boastfulness: Excessive pride in oneself, often expressed through speech.
- Egotism: The practice of talking and thinking about oneself excessively due to an inflated sense of self-importance.
- Grandiosity: The quality of being grand or impressive in a way that is intended to seem important (often clinical).
Antonyms
- Humility: A modest or low view of one's own importance.
- Modesty: Behavior that is unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one's abilities.
- Self-effacement: The act of making oneself or one's achievements seem less important.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Blowing one's own trumpet/horn: To boast about one's own achievements. This is a more informal idiom for a similar concept.
- He spent the whole interview blowing his own trumpet.
- Tooting one's own horn: (Primarily US) Same meaning as above.
Noun
- an act undertaken to increase your own power and influence or to draw attention to your own importance