self-conscious

adjective

self-con·​scious ˌself-ˈkän(t)-shəs How to pronounce self-conscious (audio)
1
a
: conscious of one's own acts or states as belonging to or originating in oneself : aware of oneself as an individual
b
: intensely aware of oneself : conscious
a rising and self-conscious social class
also : produced or done with such awareness
self-conscious art
2
: uncomfortably conscious of oneself as an object of the observation of others : ill at ease
self-consciously adverb
self-consciousness noun

Examples of self-conscious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The goal here, in focusing on language, is not to shame anyone or to make people self-conscious about their use of words. Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2025 Sweeney’s Dennis is wry and self-conscious and gay, and Dylan O’Brien’s Roman is hunky, angry, and very straight. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025 That freed you up to feel a lot less worried and self-conscious as an actress. H. Alan Scott, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025 Like Ye’s 2016 album The Life of Pablo, its form continues to solidify even after release; like SOS, its core theme is addressing an imbalance between the outward celebrity and shot-caller and the long-suffering lover and sometimes self-conscious overthinker behind the scenes. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for self-conscious 

Word History

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-conscious was in 1632

Dictionary Entries Near self-conscious

Cite this Entry

“Self-conscious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-conscious. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

self-conscious

adjective
self-con·​scious
ˈself-ˈkän-chəs
: uncomfortably conscious of oneself as an object of the observation of others
self-consciously adverb
self-consciousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on self-conscious

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