proudly
gb/pɹˈaʊdli/ us/pɹˈaʊdli/
B1
English
~ 9400
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B1
property
1
showing pleasure and satisfaction with pride
In a way that shows you are very happy and pleased about something you or another person did or has.
Usage pattern:
[someone] [verb] proudly
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"He smiled proud"* instead of *"He smiled proudly"*. Use **proud** before a noun or after a linking verb (*She is proud*), and **proudly** to describe how an action is done (*She smiled proudly*). Another mistake is using *"with proud"* instead of *"with pride"*.
Synonyms
with pride (Very close in meaning, but is a prepositional phrase rather than a single adverb.)
Antonyms
ashamedly (Describes doing something while showing shame or embarrassment instead of pride.)
Collocations
smile proudly
|say proudly
|announce proudly
|proudly show
|proudly present
|proudly display
Themes
emotions
|personal_success
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She proudly showed her parents the award she had won.
- He walked proudly onto the stage to receive his diploma.
- The company proudly announced the launch of its new product.
- They proudly told us that their son had passed the exam.
- The artist proudly displayed his paintings at the gallery.
Learner examples
- My father proudly told everyone about my new job.
- The little boy proudly held his first trophy.
- She proudly showed me photos of her new baby.
- He spoke proudly about his team’s success.
- They proudly presented their project to the class.
adverb
B2
property
2
showing proud refusal or stubborn dignity
In a way that shows you have too much pride to accept help or to say you are wrong.
Usage pattern:
[someone] proudly refuses [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with simply being *confident*. **Proudly** in this sense often includes a negative idea of not accepting help or not admitting a mistake, which **confidently** does not necessarily have.
Synonyms
stubbornly (Also shows refusal to change, but focuses more on being difficult to change than on a sense of dignity or pride.)
Antonyms
humbly (Shows low pride and willingness to accept help, admit fault, or lower oneself, which contrasts with proud refusal.)
Collocations
proudly refuse
|proudly decline
|proudly insist
|proudly claim
|proudly maintain
Themes
emotions
|character
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He proudly refused their offer of money, saying he could manage on his own.
- She proudly insisted that she needed no help to finish the job.
- Even after the mistake was clear, the politician proudly maintained that his decision was right.
- The team proudly declined any special treatment, wanting to be judged like everyone else.
- Despite the difficulties, they proudly carried on without asking for support.
Learner examples
- He proudly refused the gift because he did not want charity.
- She proudly said she would do it alone.
- They proudly declined the extra help from their friends.
- He proudly kept his opinion, even when others disagreed.
- She proudly did not say sorry, even when she was wrong.
adverb
literary
B2
property
3
standing tall and impressive
In a way that looks tall, strong, and important, so people easily see it.
Usage pattern:
[something] stands proudly [in/on/above a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this use of **proudly** always means that a person feels proud. Here, it often describes how something looks—tall, strong, and easy to see—even though that thing cannot feel emotions.
Synonyms
majestically (Emphasizes grand and noble beauty; often more formal and poetic than "proudly".)
Antonyms
modestly (Describes something not attracting much attention and not looking grand or imposing.)
Collocations
stand proudly
|rise proudly
|tower proudly
|fly proudly
|sit proudly
|loom proudly
Themes
appearance
|places
|nature
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The old castle stood proudly on the hill, overlooking the valley.
- A single tall tree rose proudly above the surrounding houses.
- The national flag flew proudly over the stadium during the ceremony.
- New glass towers now stand proudly in the city center.
- Her family photos sat proudly on the shelf for all visitors to see.
Learner examples
- The church stands proudly in the middle of the town.
- Tall buildings rise proudly over the river.
- The flag flies proudly above the school.
- A big mountain stands proudly behind the village.
- Her trophies sit proudly on her desk.
Grammar
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.