ego
How important and good a person feels they are, especially when this feeling is strong and affects their behavior.
A person's overall sense of self-importance and self-worth, especially when it affects how they think, feel, or behave.
In psychology, the part of the mind that helps you make realistic choices between what you want, what is right, and what is possible in real life.
In psychoanalytic theory, the part of the mind that organizes thoughts, makes realistic decisions, and mediates between instinctual desires, moral standards, and the external world.
Your sense of yourself as a separate person, especially when people talk about letting go of this feeling in a spiritual or philosophical way.
The individual sense of self as a separate, personal identity, especially in philosophical, religious, or self-help contexts where it may be seen as something to reduce or transcend.
- Base: ego
- Plural: egos
big ego
1an exaggerated sense of importance
To have a very high opinion of yourself, often too high.
- He’s talented, but his big ego makes him hard to work with.
- Her big ego won’t let her admit she made a mistake.
boost someone's ego
1to increase someone's self-esteem
To make someone feel more important or more confident about themselves.
- Winning that prize really boosted his ego.
- She complimented him to boost his ego before the interview.
check your ego at the door
1set aside your pride first
To enter a place or situation ready to work with others, without acting proud or selfish.
- On this team, you need to check your ego at the door.
- Before we start this project, let’s all check our egos at the door.
ego boost
1something that raises self-esteem
Something that makes you feel more important, proud, or confident.
- The positive review was a much-needed ego boost for the team.
- Getting so many likes on her post gave her a little ego boost.
ego clash
1conflict between strong egos
A fight or problem that happens because two people both have strong egos and will not give up.
- The meeting turned into an ego clash between the two directors.
- An ego clash in the band eventually led to their breakup.
ego death
1loss of normal sense of self
A strong experience, often spiritual or drug-related, where your usual feeling of being a separate 'I' seems to disappear for a time.
- Some people describe deep meditation as a kind of ego death.
- The article explores reports of ego death during psychedelic experiences.
ego trip
1activity to feel superior
An activity or behavior you do mainly to feel important, powerful, or better than other people.
- Running the project turned into an ego trip for him.
- The speech felt less like a report and more like an ego trip.
stroke someone's ego
1to flatter someone's sense of importance
To say nice things to someone mainly to make them feel important or pleased with themselves.
- The manager stroked his ego with constant praise.
- She knows how to stroke his ego when she wants something.
stroke someone's ego
2praise to make someone feel important
To say nice things to someone so they feel more important or proud, often to get something from them.
- He loves it when people stroke his ego and tell him how talented he is.
- You don’t have to stroke her ego; just be honest.
- The ad is clearly designed to stroke the customer’s ego.