self-aggrandizing

adjective

self-ag·​gran·​diz·​ing ˌself-ə-ˈgran-ˌdī-ziŋ How to pronounce self-aggrandizing (audio)
 also  -ˈa-grən-
: acting or intended to enhance one's power, wealth, position, or reputation
… staggeringly self-aggrandizing greed and theft …William J. Astore
a self-aggrandizing cad bent on gathering for himself whatever spoils he can amass from the public coffers.Paul Beckett
especially : boastful often in disregard of the truth
self-aggrandizing remarks
… the skill of talking about yourself in a natural way without coming off as a self-aggrandizing braggart. Jim Murray
… whose dishonest, self-aggrandizing memoirs adroitly snookered the public … Frank Rich
We hear of the self-aggrandizing fantasies which he told his sisters, as tales to amuse them. Robert Penn Warren
… was publicly suspended with no pay for six months after it emerged that he repeatedly told a self-aggrandizing, false story about being aboard a military helicopter hit by an RPG over Iraq. Kieran Corcoran and Christopher Brennan
self-aggrandizement
ˌself-ə-ˈgran-dəz-mənt
-ˌdīz- How to pronounce self-aggrandizing (audio)
 also  -ˌa-grən-ˈdīz-
noun
plural self-aggrandizements
… the construction of monumental buildings for self-aggrandizement. Beatrice Forbes Manz
A native reticence, almost an aversion to anything that might be construed as boasting or self-aggrandizement, is paired with innate optimism, loyalty and a quiet determination. Steven Winn

Examples of self-aggrandizing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Classifying what Piece by Piece will be exactly, especially in the often self-aggrandizing realm of the musical biopic, is a challenge. Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024 The rise of Huawei is painstakingly rendered in a small library of self-aggrandizing literature that the company publishes, including several volumes of quotes from its founder. Steven Levy, WIRED, 16 Nov. 2020 Statistically, such worker is more likely to be female than male, as men are not only more likely to engage in self-aggrandizing deception, but also to get away with it. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 But the decision to overrule the Chevron deference doctrine and to expand the role of courts is an extraordinary and self-aggrandizing claim of power and authority for the judicial branch. Washington Post, 9 July 2024 Perhaps the only feature of Modi’s reputation as consistent as his anti-Muslim agenda is his self-aggrandizing ambition. Maya Jasanoff, The New Yorker, 19 June 2024 Showing up a full hour into the shock jock’s self-aggrandizing autobiographical comedy, Giamatti brings a brash southern smarminess to his foil character, who devolves into a stewing, screaming mess as he’s ruthlessly mocked on the air by the man he’s sworn to rein in. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024 Of course, some might take issue with a portrait of the country as obsessively self-aggrandizing, often to the detriment of others. Jon Sebastian Shifrin, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2024 His words focused heavily on attacking his political rivals, self-aggrandizing and stoking fear to make his case for 2024. Angelo Fichera, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-aggrandizing was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near self-aggrandizing

Cite this Entry

“Self-aggrandizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-aggrandizing. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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