as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
so many of the Web site's self-portraits give the impression of clueless self-satisfaction
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Recent Examples of self-satisfaction
Corporate leaders will be called upon to overcome self-satisfaction with progress made in the advancement of gender parity for women, especially those in senior and middle management.
—
Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Megalopolis posits a world of clueless liberal self-satisfaction, missing every point of contemporary alertness to ongoing lawfare and sedition.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
Nothing was off-limits in Mad, a newsstand stalwart that would reach peak annual sales in the 1970s of 2.5 million issues by delivering belly laughs and self-satisfaction to America’s class clowns through cartoons, parodies, sarcastic characters and an unending stream of gross-out gags.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024
There was more than a whiff of self-satisfaction from the Kremlin on Wednesday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to Mongolia at the start of the week went without a hitch — despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant hanging over the visit.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024
The potential rewards for their work had always been self-satisfaction, a few tip-jar-sized donations, and maybe some nice emails.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 17 May 2024
Bleakley said people can often use such cases for their own self-satisfaction, dehumanizing victims in the process.
—Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 5 Jan. 2024
For all its economic might, persistent skepticism about the usefulness of forceful intervention, coupled with a hint of self-satisfaction about its own success, keeps Europe’s leading power out of most violent international conflicts.
—Lauren Harrison, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2014
At times, nostalgia can devolve into a kind of hate-watching, as the pleasures of self-satisfaction and superior knowledge drip from one’s present-day vantage.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Megalopolis posits a world of clueless liberal self-satisfaction, missing every point of contemporary alertness to ongoing lawfare and sedition.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
Nothing was off-limits in Mad, a newsstand stalwart that would reach peak annual sales in the 1970s of 2.5 million issues by delivering belly laughs and self-satisfaction to America’s class clowns through cartoons, parodies, sarcastic characters and an unending stream of gross-out gags.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024
There was more than a whiff of self-satisfaction from the Kremlin on Wednesday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to Mongolia at the start of the week went without a hitch — despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant hanging over the visit.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024
The potential rewards for their work had always been self-satisfaction, a few tip-jar-sized donations, and maybe some nice emails.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 17 May 2024
Bleakley said people can often use such cases for their own self-satisfaction, dehumanizing victims in the process.
—Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 5 Jan. 2024
For all its economic might, persistent skepticism about the usefulness of forceful intervention, coupled with a hint of self-satisfaction about its own success, keeps Europe’s leading power out of most violent international conflicts.
—Lauren Harrison, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2014
At times, nostalgia can devolve into a kind of hate-watching, as the pleasures of self-satisfaction and superior knowledge drip from one’s present-day vantage.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-satisfaction
Noun
-
Each of the bedrooms has a corresponding en suite that features beadboard walls, an oak vanity with rope detailing, and a stone countertop that extends upwards to wrap around the mirrors.—
Morgan Goldberg,
Architectural Digest,
3 Mar. 2025
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Residential wet rooms can be just one feature in an expensive, spa-like primary bathroom decked out with a sauna, toilet, vanity and a mini cold-plunge pool.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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So much more than a story about football players, this series takes in race, socio-economics, and what happens to outsized egos in the face of failure.—
Lisa Wong Macabasco,
Vogue,
7 Mar. 2025
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This kind of self-inquiry forces leaders to separate ego from strategy, ensuring that decisions are based on the best available information rather than past habits.—
Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But there is certainly a sense of pride attached to his defense.—
Shane Young,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
-
The kit is tattooed with our city map, highlighting our pride in representing Kansas City.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But what unfolded in the White House on Friday was a striking departure—an unprecedented display of hostility, arrogance, and political theater that raises serious concerns about America's global leadership.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Reportedly, Tulip mastermind Charles Hegel (played with perfect measure of condescending arrogance by Josh Brener) has died in Kenya, and took with him all the necessary passwords needed to access the accounts of his many investors.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-satisfaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-satisfaction. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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