pride

noun

1)

their triumphs were a source of pride

Syn:

self-esteem, dignity, honor, self-respect, self-worth, self-regard, pride in oneself

Ant:

shame

2)

take pride in a good job well done

Syn:

pleasure, joy, delight, gratification, fulfillment, satisfaction, a sense of achievement

3)

he refused her offer out of pride

Syn:

arrogance, vanity, self-importance, hubris, conceit, conceitedness, self-love, self-adulation, self-admiration, narcissism, egotism, superciliousness, haughtiness, snobbery, snobbishness; informal big-headedness; literary vainglory

Ant:

modesty, humility

4)

the bull is the pride of the herd

Syn:

best, finest, top, cream, pick, choice, prize, glory, jewel in the crown

Ant:

dregs

5)

the rose-covered trellis was the pride of the gardener

Syn:

source of satisfaction, pride and joy, treasured possession, joy, delight

•

- pride oneself on

••

pride, arrogance, conceit, egotism, self-esteem, vainglory, vanity

If you take pride in yourself or your accomplishments, it means that you believe in your own worth, merit, or superiority — whether or not that belief is justified (she took pride in her accomplishments). When your opinion of yourself is exaggerated, you're showing conceit, a word that combines pride with self-obsession. If you like to be noticed and admired for your appearance or achievements, you're revealing your vanity, and if you show off or boast about your accomplishments, you're likely to be accused of vainglory, a somewhat literary term for a self-important display of power, skill, or influence. Arrogance is an overbearing pride combined with disdain for others (his arrogance led him to assume that everyone else would obey his orders), while egotism implies self-centeredness or an excessive preoccupation with yourself (blinded by egotism to the suffering of others). While no one wants to be accused of arrogance or egotism, there's a lot to be said for self-esteem, which may suggest undue pride but is more often used to describe a healthy belief in oneself and respect for one's worth as a person (she suffered from low self-esteem).