pride

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A feeling of satisfaction in what you or people close to you have achieved.

   Grammar: No plural; often followed by in: pride in your work.

   Patterns

   • pride in something
   • take pride in something
   • with pride

   She felt great pride when her son graduated.

   He takes pride in his garden.

   The team showed pride in their win.

2. 2noununcountabledisapproving

   An excessively high opinion of yourself; arrogance.

   Grammar: Used negatively: pride before a fall.

   His pride kept him from asking for help.

   Pride was her greatest weakness.

3. 3noununcountable

   Respect for yourself and the wish to keep it.

   Grammar: Often with swallow: swallow your pride.

   Patterns

   • swallow your pride

   He had to swallow his pride and ask for a loan.

   Losing the job hurt her pride.

4. 4nouncountable

   A group of lions living together.

   Grammar: A collective noun; singular verb for one group.

   Patterns

   • a pride of lions

   A pride of lions rested in the shade.

   The pride is led by an older female.

Word forms

Common combinations

take pride in

She takes pride in her cooking.

swallow your pride

I swallowed my pride and said sorry.

pride of place

The trophy has pride of place on the shelf.

a source of pride

The school is a source of pride for the town.

a pride of lions

We watched a pride of lions hunt.

Synonyms and how they differ

satisfaction

Milder and does not need an achievement by someone close.

self-respect

Focuses on your sense of worth rather than on achievements.

arrogance

Always negative, a looking-down on others.

vanity

Focuses on admiration of your own looks or abilities.

Opposites

Word family

proud adjective

feeling pride

proudly adverb

in a way that shows pride

pride oneself verb

to feel proud of a quality you have

Commonly confused: pride or prize?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “pride”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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