self-flattery: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2/Low FrequencyFormal/Literary
Quick answer
What does “self-flattery” mean?
The act of praising oneself, often to boost one's own ego or to convince oneself of positive qualities.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The act of praising oneself, often to boost one's own ego or to convince oneself of positive qualities.
A form of cognitive bias where an individual engages in internal or external praise of their own abilities, decisions, or attributes, sometimes ignoring contradictory evidence. Often viewed as a mild or delusional form of self-deception.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant orthographic or syntactic differences. The concept is equally understood.
Connotations
Slightly more common in British literary and psychological discourse. In American usage, might be more readily replaced by phrases like 'kidding yourself' or 'self-delusion' in informal contexts.
Frequency
Low frequency in both varieties, but perhaps marginally higher in UK English due to a stronger tradition of ironic self-commentary.
Grammar
How to Use “self-flattery” in a Sentence
[Subject] engages in self-flattery[Subject]'s [action/statement] was mere self-flatteryIt is self-flattery to [verb phrase]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “self-flattery” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She flattered herself that her plan was foolproof.
American English
- He flatters himself thinking he's the smartest guy in the room.
adjective
British English
- His was a self-flattering narrative of the events.
American English
- She gave a self-flattering account of her role in the project.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used critically: 'The CEO's optimistic projections were dismissed as corporate self-flattery.'
Academic
Used in psychology, philosophy, and literary criticism to describe a character's cognitive state.
Everyday
Very rare in casual speech. A more educated or literary term.
Technical
Not a standard technical term, but appears in psychoanalytic and behavioural economics texts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “self-flattery”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “self-flattery”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “self-flattery”
- Misspelling as 'self-flatery'.
- Confusing it with 'self-confidence', which is a positive trait.
- Using it as a verb ('He self-flattered'). The verb form is 'to flatter oneself'.
- Overusing in contexts where simpler words like 'boasting' or 'pride' would suffice.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically, yes. It implies a lack of self-awareness and a degree of deception. While positive self-talk can be healthy, 'self-flattery' crosses into unrealistic or dishonest praise.
Boasting is the public, verbal act of praising oneself to others. Self-flattery is the internal act of convincing oneself of one's positive qualities; it can be private. Boasting can be a result of self-flattery.
Extremely rarely. It might be used with irony or in a literary sense to describe a harmless, comforting illusion. In standard usage, it carries a critical or psychological connotation.
No direct verb '*to self-flattery'. The standard verbal phrase is 'to flatter oneself' (e.g., 'Don't flatter yourself—they weren't talking about you').
The act of praising oneself, often to boost one's own ego or to convince oneself of positive qualities.
Self-flattery is usually formal/literary in register.
Self-flattery: in British English it is pronounced /ˌself ˈflætəri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌself ˈflætəri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To flatter oneself”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of looking in a flattering mirror (self + flattery) and telling yourself how good you look, even if it's not entirely true.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A FLATTERER (a cognitive agent that praises the self). SELF-ASSESSMENT IS A DISTORTING MIRROR.
Practice
Quiz
Which scenario BEST illustrates 'self-flattery'?