self-aggrandizement
Puffing oneself up
Self-aggrandizement is the act of making oneself seem more important, powerful, or impressive than one actually is.
The word carries strong negative connotations—it suggests vanity and inflated ego rather than genuine achievement: His memoir was an exercise in self-aggrandizement.
Politicians and executives are frequent targets of the accusation.
Excessive self-importance
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
- egotismInflated sense of self-importance
- conceitExaggerated self-admiration
- self-importanceExaggerated sense of significance
hubris · grandiosity · pomposity · smugness · self-centeredness · self-worship · self-obsession · haughtiness
Excessive self-praise
- braggingExcessive self-praise
- showing-offOstentatious display of skill
- preeningGrooming with vanity
- flauntingOstentatious display of something
peacocking · posturing · grandstanding · self-congratulation · humble-bragging · one-upmanship · name-dropping · attention-seeking
Ascending by physical effort
- strivingEarnest sustained endeavor
- advancementForward movement or promotion
- status-seekingPursuing higher position
- empire-buildingGrowing one's domain
ladder-climbing · self-promotion · opportunism · careerism · name-dropping · networking · positioning
arrogance
Excessive self-importance
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
- egotismInflated sense of self-importance
- conceitExaggerated self-admiration
self-importance · hubris · grandiosity · pomposity · smugness · self-centeredness · self-worship · self-obsession · haughtiness · immodesty
boasting
Excessive self-praise
- braggingExcessive self-praise
- showing-offOstentatious display of skill
- preeningGrooming with vanity
flaunting · peacocking · posturing · grandstanding · self-congratulation · humble-bragging · one-upmanship · name-dropping · attention-seeking · showboating
climbing
Ascending by physical effort
- strivingEarnest sustained endeavor
- advancementForward movement or promotion
- status-seekingPursuing higher position
empire-building · ladder-climbing · self-promotion · opportunism · careerism · name-dropping · networking · positioning
- ego displaysarrogance, vanity, boasting, showboating, braggadocio
- selfishnessselfishness, greed, egoism, narcissism, self-centeredness
- egoego, egoism, big ego, egotism, egocentrism
- megalomaniamegalomania, grandiosity, messiah complex, savior complex, egomania
- hypehype, buzz, spin, hype train, overhyped
self-aggrandizementself-abasement
Deliberately diminishing oneself
self-deprecation · self-effacement · humility · self-abnegation · modesty
self-aggrandizementselflessness
Prioritizing others over oneself
altruism · self-sacrifice · self-denial · humbleness · self-abnegation
self-aggrandizementhumility
Freedom from arrogance
modesty · understatement · unpretentiousness · unassumingness · meekness
grand, selfish, selfless, grandeur, grandiose, aggrandizes, aggrandize, selfhood, selfsame