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self-consciousness

self-consciousness

8 6.5
Feeling awkward because you think others are watching or judging you
  • noun
  • /ˌsɛlfˈkɒnʃəsnəs/
translation icon : autoconciencia
  • His self-consciousness prevented him from speaking up during the meeting, fearing others would judge him.
  • degree of self-consciousness
  • reduces self-consciousness
  • self-consciousness appears

But you know, I would say even though it's a horrible fate and you know, Benji can really bear to look at himself, so he really has that degree of self consciousness.

Examples

  • To do it requires a lack of self-consciousness and a trust in your own words.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Today, as Iva Lou and I make the long walk, the self-consciousness is gone.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • After a few minutes, I lost my self-consciousness in the new dress.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • If only there could be ease, laughter between them, and not such self-consciousness!

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Eventually, he told me, "I lost all self-consciousness and developed some mannerisms."

    Academic text (1995)
  • Repeat these experiments over several days to get used to any initial self-consciousness or discomfort you might feel.

    Academic text (2008)
  • However, her apparent lucidity was marked by a subtle, yet noticeable air of guilty self-consciousness.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Jakob walks with a high degree of self-consciousness, nervously dodging around the various obstacles.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • When she realized everyone was watching her, a wave of self-consciousness made her blush.

  • As the spotlight hit the stage, the singer felt a surge of self-consciousness about her performance.

Synonyms

embarrassment
vsself-consciousness
219 3.1

A feeling of awkwardness or shame

is a milder feeling of being watched and judged causing discomfort not shame
uneasiness
vsself-consciousness
14 3.6

A worried, uncomfortable feeling when you cannot relax

is awareness of yourself when you think people watch or judge you
uncomfortableness
vsself-consciousness
1 6.0

A feeling of being uneasy or awkward

is a socially rooted feeling of being watched or judged that causes discomfort

Antonyms

38 5.1

Calm control of your feelings and actions in a difficult situation

Confidence in your own ability to do things and make choices

Not worrying about what other people think

How Self-Conscious

embarrassment
219 3.1
self-consciousness
8 6.5
shyness
21 2.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

self-consciousness = self-conscious (transparent) = self + conscious + self + ness

The noun is clearly formed by adding the productive suffix '-ness' to the adjective 'self-conscious', yielding the state of being self-conscious.

Etymology

Self-consciousness is made from self ('yourself'), conscious ('aware') and the ending -ness that makes a noun, so it literally means 'being aware of yourself'. That's why it describes the uneasy feeling you get when you think others are watching or judging you and you feel embarrassed.