as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
the air of self-congratulation that pervades the songwriter's memoirs
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Recent Examples of self-congratulation
But Carey also took the UBS Arena stage in New York for more than self-congratulations.
—
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Judge, always wary of self-congratulation, downplayed his contributions.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 25 July 2025
Dismissed by some as an intellectual fad, EA, according to its founders, marked a serious and fundamental rethink of philanthropy, away from an exercise in black-tie self-congratulation and toward a rigorous quantitative science.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2025
In The Atlantic, the former sheriff of King County, Washington, Sue Rahr, explains how such self-congratulation obscures so many less palatable truths.
—Maris Kreizman, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
What bothers me more is the tone of self-congratulation that accompanies a project that has precious little to do with restorative justice.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 30 May 2025
The rollout comes with the usual self-congratulation.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
No longer was the show building season-long plots around how megachurch culture has helped turn modern-day Christianity into a hotbed of self-congratulation and greed; that was now subtext.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2025
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Judge, always wary of self-congratulation, downplayed his contributions.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 25 July 2025
Dismissed by some as an intellectual fad, EA, according to its founders, marked a serious and fundamental rethink of philanthropy, away from an exercise in black-tie self-congratulation and toward a rigorous quantitative science.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2025
In The Atlantic, the former sheriff of King County, Washington, Sue Rahr, explains how such self-congratulation obscures so many less palatable truths.
—Maris Kreizman, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
What bothers me more is the tone of self-congratulation that accompanies a project that has precious little to do with restorative justice.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 30 May 2025
The rollout comes with the usual self-congratulation.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
No longer was the show building season-long plots around how megachurch culture has helped turn modern-day Christianity into a hotbed of self-congratulation and greed; that was now subtext.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-congratulation
Noun
-
There was no vanity in her, which is what Fran McDormand had.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The homeowner’s suite, comprising a large bedroom, a sitting/dressing room, lots of closet space, and a bathroom with marble vanities, spills onto a deck overlooking the yard.—
Mark David,
Robb Report,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Thanks to his clever punchlines that carry zero sting, the biggest names in TV can leave the ceremony with unbruised egos.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
This wasn’t a choice that should have been left to an individual’s ego, an individual’s ambition.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As if back in character, Colfer sported a massive smile, while O'Malley pointed his finger at Colfer in pride with a poker face.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Have a few rounds of Guinness pulled with pride, maybe a scotch sour.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Mitchell prides himself on being a no-nonsense, no-bulls*** kind of man, but his attitude can sometimes come across as arrogance.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
-
This arrogance is not just limited to tech titans.—
Christian Josi,
Boston Herald,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There is no room for complacency.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Still, having one’s ideas confirmed too often risks complacency.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-congratulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-congratulation. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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