self-aggrandizement
/'selfə'grændizmənt/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The act or process of making oneself appear more powerful, important, or impressive than one actually is: It involves actions or statements intended to enhance one's own status, power, or reputation, often in a way that is perceived as excessive, boastful, or unjustified.
Usage and Examples
- Noun:
- The politician's speech was criticized as pure self-aggrandizement, lacking any substantive policy proposals.
- His constant self-aggrandizement on social media made his colleagues view him as arrogant and insecure.
- The biography avoided self-aggrandizement, offering a surprisingly humble and honest account of her life.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Conceptual Use: The term often carries a negative connotation, implying that the enhancement is unwarranted, egotistical, or achieved through exaggeration or deceit. It is frequently used in critiques of public figures, leaders, or institutions.
- The CEO's memoir was less a corporate history and more an exercise in self-aggrandizement.
- In Psychology/Sociology: Can be used to describe a behavioral trait or a strategy within group dynamics where an individual seeks to elevate their standing.
- The study examined self-aggrandizement as a common feature in certain personality disorders.
Variants and Related Words
- Self-aggrandizing (adjective): Describing behavior or actions characterized by self-aggrandizement.
- He was known for his self-aggrandizing tales of personal heroism.
- Aggrandizement (noun): The act of making something greater in power, size, or status. "Self-" specifies the object of this action is oneself.
- Self-glorification (noun): A very close synonym, emphasizing the aspect of praising oneself.
Synonyms
- Egotism: Excessive and objectionable reference to oneself.
- Boastfulness: The quality of talking with excessive pride about oneself.
- Self-promotion: The act of furthering one's own growth, reputation, or status (can be neutral or negative depending on context).
- Vainglory: Inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessive vanity.
Antonyms
- Humility: A modest or low view of one's own importance.
- Self-effacement: The act of making oneself, one's actions, or one's achievements seem unimportant.
- Modesty: The quality of being unassuming in the estimation of one's abilities.
Idioms and Phrases
- Blowing one's own trumpet/horn: An idiom meaning to boast about one's own achievements, closely related to the concept of self-aggrandizement.
- Instead of letting his work speak for itself, he's always blowing his own trumpet.
Noun
- an act undertaken to increase your own power and influence or to draw attention to your own importance