Meaning & use
self-conscious
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Feeling uncomfortable and awkward because you are aware that other people are watching or judging you.
Grammar: Often followed by 'about' plus a noun or -ing form: self-conscious about his accent.
Patterns
- be self-conscious about something
- feel self-conscious
- self-conscious about doing something
- make someone self-conscious
He felt self-conscious about his new haircut and wore a hat all day.
She gets self-conscious when she has to speak in front of the class.
Don't make him self-conscious about his height.
adjectivebefore a nounformal
Done with a deliberate awareness of how it will appear to others, sometimes in an awkward or forced way.
Grammar: Used before a noun to describe behavior or art that draws attention to itself.
Patterns
- a self-conscious style
- self-conscious humor
The film's self-conscious style kept reminding viewers that they were watching a movie.
His self-conscious jokes made everyone feel a little uneasy.
Common combinations
- feel self-conscious about
- She feels self-conscious about her accent when she speaks English.
- get self-conscious
- He gets self-conscious whenever a camera appears.
- acutely self-conscious
- As a teenager, he was acutely self-conscious about his skin.
- make someone self-conscious
- Please don't stare; it makes her self-conscious.
Synonyms and how they differ
- embarrassed
- Focuses on the feeling of shame after something has happened; 'self-conscious' is more about being watched in the moment.
- awkward
- Describes the uncomfortable situation or a person's manner, not the inner awareness of being judged.
- insecure
- Means lacking confidence in yourself in general, while 'self-conscious' is usually about a specific feature or situation.
Opposites
Word family
- self-consciousness noun
- The uncomfortable feeling of being aware of yourself as others see you.
- conscious adjective
- Awake and aware; also means done on purpose.
Commonly confused: self-conscious or self-confident? self-conscious or shy?
self-conscious vs self-confident
This means sure of yourself in a good way. 'Self-conscious' is the opposite: uneasy about how you appear.
self-conscious vs shy
'Shy' means nervous around people in general; 'self-conscious' means specifically worried about being watched or judged.
Practice
Ever since the teacher pointed out his pronunciation, Ben has been ______ about speaking in class.
Choose one answer.
'Self-conscious about' fits because Ben feels awkward about how he sounds. 'Self-confident' would mean he feels sure of himself, which does not match the situation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “self-conscious”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.