1
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
the boxer's flamboyant self-importance often made for a colorful prefight press conference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
her overbearing self-importance has given her a sense of entitlement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-importance
Each one becomes a part of the fabric of Fashion Week, but their disparate problems are a far cry from the glitzy event’s self-importance.
—
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Season four course-corrected somewhat, but its hard embrace of a bleeding-heart sentimentality around found families and the power of food smacked of self-importance.
—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
25 June 2026
There’s also a broader cultural undercurrent shaping all of this—a down-to-earth atmosphere that resists hierarchy and self-importance.
—
Alli Forde,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
This population crisis feeds into a post-imperial syndrome, where the decline of empire and power status invokes a sense of loss of self-importance that gives rise to resentment and an unwavering commitment to retain great power status.
—
John Rennie Short,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Sonny was married for more than 40 years to his beloved Margo — who, as was often the case of the wives of famous/infamous men, knew exactly how and when to best burst his occasional balloon of self-importance and puffery.
—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
6 Feb. 2026
We’d sometimes get threatened, and that only inflated our self-importance.
—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Late-night show hosts now have an attitude of self-importance, congratulating themselves for their work.
—
Andrea Ruth,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Aug. 2025
Audiences today crave brands that prioritize substance over self-importance, and complexity and contradiction can be the very foundation of authenticity and connection.
—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Season four course-corrected somewhat, but its hard embrace of a bleeding-heart sentimentality around found families and the power of food smacked of self-importance.
—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
25 June 2026
There’s also a broader cultural undercurrent shaping all of this—a down-to-earth atmosphere that resists hierarchy and self-importance.
—
Alli Forde,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
This population crisis feeds into a post-imperial syndrome, where the decline of empire and power status invokes a sense of loss of self-importance that gives rise to resentment and an unwavering commitment to retain great power status.
—
John Rennie Short,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Sonny was married for more than 40 years to his beloved Margo — who, as was often the case of the wives of famous/infamous men, knew exactly how and when to best burst his occasional balloon of self-importance and puffery.
—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
6 Feb. 2026
We’d sometimes get threatened, and that only inflated our self-importance.
—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Late-night show hosts now have an attitude of self-importance, congratulating themselves for their work.
—
Andrea Ruth,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Aug. 2025
Audiences today crave brands that prioritize substance over self-importance, and complexity and contradiction can be the very foundation of authenticity and connection.
—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-importance
Noun
-
Needless to say there was no second date, and, eventually though painfully, my own arrogance had some of its rough edges worn down.
-
In Episode 3, Harris discussed the early arrogance of the founding fathers who made proposals for America's independence and questioned who was entitled to freedom.
Noun
-
The bathroom is nearby and contains a vanity sink, a walk-in shower, and an incinerating toilet – which literally turns waste into ash.
-
The hotel’s wellness focus extends to the bathrooms, which boast walk-in showers, claw-foot soaking tubs, and double-sink marble vanities embellished with ornate gilt mirrors.
Noun
-
These early precedents in fictional brutality also weaken Thomson’s next point, about literature’s superiority.
-
Part of the reason for this is the Dodgers have entered a boring-great stage of hegemony, in which their superiority over the rest of the league is so pronounced that there is little to discuss on a day-to-day basis.
Noun
-
Visitors would find artifacts such as the candlestand, where Washington chose humility over ego and began the peaceful transfer of power.
-
The Aussie needed to have some amount of ego to achieve that confidence, something Wright didn’t have or realize.
Noun
-
The history of Kaskaskia is full of stories of resilience and stubborn pride, but also of the inevitability of nature.
-
Schlanger’s pride in his Jewishness forced Goldstein to reflect on her upbringing.
Cite this Entry
“Self-importance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-importance. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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