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
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
At what should be a moment of self-congratulation, however, the foundation, which gives away $9 billion each year, is facing grave threats to both its work and its future.
—Theodore Schleifer, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Some progress is being made, and ongoing self-congratulations are occurring.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
All that and a certain culture of self-congratulation at Choose Chicago and a bit of Midwestern myopia, too.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Instead, Americans got a speech completely detached from reality full of self-congratulations.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
Oftentimes, these calls can be filled with fluff and self-congratulations — sometimes well-deserved, other times less so.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025
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
At what should be a moment of self-congratulation, however, the foundation, which gives away $9 billion each year, is facing grave threats to both its work and its future.
—Theodore Schleifer, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Some progress is being made, and ongoing self-congratulations are occurring.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
All that and a certain culture of self-congratulation at Choose Chicago and a bit of Midwestern myopia, too.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Instead, Americans got a speech completely detached from reality full of self-congratulations.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
Oftentimes, these calls can be filled with fluff and self-congratulations — sometimes well-deserved, other times less so.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-congratulation
Noun
-
Perfect for a vanity, living room, or anywhere that could use additional seating, this upholstered throne has earned over 1,000 five-star reviews on Amazon for its softness, back support and ease of assembly.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 June 2025
-
Even the smallest guest room, at 516 square feet, provides guests with ample space to spread out, with double vanities and a deep soaking tub in the bathroom.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
When leaders tune in without ego, teams feel safe, seen and energized.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
He was hired as a guy to document the fruition of Stockton’s dream from the start of the whole thing, which tells you the kind of ego that Stockton had.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
As his tenure there comes to an end next month, Levine can look in the mirror and say with no small measure of pride: Mission accomplished.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
4 June 2025
-
Uranium enrichment, a source of pride for Iran, is at the heart of a long rift between the two countries.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
The film sardonically conjures a golden age of interventionist arrogance.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2025
-
Here are the more common ways insecurities can manifest themselves: • Confidence will turn into arrogance.—
Bill English,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
And if that happens, the politicians’ complacency will hit a wall.—
Clive Crook,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2025
-
This approach builds accountability, prevents access complacency and allows early detection of irregularities, all while preserving trust.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-congratulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-congratulation. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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