Meaning & use
inferiority complex
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A strong, lasting feeling that you are less able or less important than other people.
Grammar: Takes an or an, and a plural: She has an inferiority complex.
Patterns
- have an inferiority complex
- give someone an inferiority complex
- about something
He never speaks up in meetings because he has an inferiority complex.
Years of teasing gave her an inferiority complex about her height.
Their constant praise of his brother created a real inferiority complex.
nouncountabletechnical
In psychology, a pattern of deep feelings of inadequacy that shapes a person's behavior.
Grammar: Technical use; often discussed with terms like compensation and superiority complex.
Patterns
- diagnose an inferiority complex
- an inferiority complex about something
Early writers linked the inferiority complex to efforts to prove oneself.
Therapists no longer treat the inferiority complex as a single clear diagnosis.
Word forms
| plural | inferiority complexes |
|---|
Common combinations
- have an inferiority complex
- He has an inferiority complex about his accent.
- give someone an inferiority complex
- Stop comparing her to her sister; you'll give her an inferiority complex.
- a deep inferiority complex
- She hid a deep inferiority complex behind loud jokes.
- about something
- He has an inferiority complex about his writing.
- suffer from an inferiority complex
- Many teenagers suffer from an inferiority complex at some point.
Synonyms and how they differ
- low self-esteem
- Softer and more common; it describes poor confidence in general, not a fixed, exaggerated pattern.
- insecurity
- Usually about a specific worry (money, looks); an inferiority complex is broader and more lasting.
- self-doubt
- Describes moments of uncertainty, not a settled belief that you are worse than others.
Opposites
Word family
- inferior adjective
- Less good or lower in rank than something else.
- inferiority noun
- The state of being lower in quality or rank.
- complex noun
- A group of strong feelings that affect behavior.
Commonly confused: inferiority complex or superiority complex? inferiority complex or inferiority?
inferiority complex vs superiority complex
The opposite: a belief that you are better than others, often covering hidden doubt.
inferiority complex vs inferiority
Simply the state of being lower in rank; it does not by itself mean a psychological problem.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'inferiority complex' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The noun is countable and starts with a vowel sound, so it needs 'an'. 'A' is wrong before a vowel sound, and dropping the article or using 'the' does not fit this general statement about her feelings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inferiority complex”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.