pride — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The quality or state of being proud. A sense of one's own worth; reasonable self-esteem and satisfaction (in oneself, in one's work, one's family, etc).

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   He swelled with pride as he held the trophy. His family watched with pride from the bleachers.

   He takes great pride in his work.

   More examples (3)

   He had pride of ownership in his department.

   My chief attention therefore was now to bring down the pride of my family to their circumstances; for I well knew that aspiring beggary is wretchedness itself.

   A people which takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants.

2. The quality or state of being proud. An unreasonable overestimation of one's own superiority in terms of talents, or looks, wealth, importance, etc., which comes across as being haughty, lofty, and often showing contempt of others; exaggerated self-worth.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

3. Proud or disdainful behavior or treatment that reflects such an attitude (of haughtiness); arrogance.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   disdainhubris

   Examples

   Pride goeth before the fall.

4. Something or someone of which one is proud; that which is the source of self-congratulation and self-esteem (whether reasonable or arrogant), for example

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Her long ginger hair is her pride.

   The 18th century table is the pride of Mark's house/

   More examples (3)

   My children's accomplishments are my pride.

   And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

   a bold peasantry, their country's pride

5. Show; ostentation; glory.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   lofty trees yclad with summer's pride

   Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war.

6. Highest level or rank; (figurative) elevation reached; loftiness or glory.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   a falcon, towering in her pride of place

7. Consciousness of power; fullness of animal spirits; mettle; wantonness.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

8. Lust or heat; sexual desire (especially in a female animal)

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Countable
   • Uncountable

9. A group of lions or other large felines or similar animals.

   Usage

   • collective
   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   A pride of lions often consists of a dominant male, his harem and their offspring, but young adult males 'leave home' to roam about as a bachelors' pride until they are able to seize/establish a family pride of their own.

   a pride of lions started roaring out in the plains beyond our ring of hills

   More examples (1)

   Quite recently near Nzongezi, one of the men out shooting for meat, ran into a "pride" of lions, shot the male first, a mistake, and the lioness was upon him and had him down before he could shoot again.

   While traveling in their station wagon, they saw a pride of lions feasting on a zebra.

   More examples (5)

   So, at some point in the evolution of the behaviour of lions, one must imagine there were several different prides of lions roaming about, and those prides which happened to turn out the young males were, indeed, the ones that had a better chance of survival.

   What appears to be a pride of cheetahs is usually a mother and her full-grown cubs, who will leave her side to look for their own mates after they reach the age of two.

   We were all facing the door as we waited for the opposing counsel to come in, like a pride of hyenas about to ambush a wounded water buffalo.

   Competition among a pride of cougars is nothing short of ruthless.

   I will say it was quite impressive to watch from a distance as the poor battered imitation D-Jag, the Kamikaze Maru, outran a pride of jaguars

Verb

1. To take or experience pride in something; to be proud of it.

   Usage

   • Reflexive

   Synonyms

   take pride

   Examples

   I pride myself on being a good judge of character.

   More examples (2)

   Ichabod prided himself upon his dancing as much as upon his vocal powers. Not a limb, not a fibre about him was idle; and to have seen his loosely hung frame in full motion and clattering about the room you would have thought Saint Vitus himself, that blessed patron of the dance, was figuring before you in person.

   RAIB prides itself on being able to send any of its inspectors to site with sufficient investigative skills and technical knowledge to gather evidence for any type of accident.

Noun

1. The small European lamprey species Petromyzon branchialis.

   Usage

   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   pridsandpiper

Noun

1. a feeling of self-respect and personal worth

   Synonyms

   pridefulness

   Antonyms

   humility

   Broader terms

   feeling

2. satisfaction with your (or another's) achievements

   Broader terms

   satisfaction

   Examples

   he takes pride in his son's success

3. the trait of being spurred on by a dislike of falling below your standards

   Broader terms

   trait

4. a group of lions

   Broader terms

   animal group

5. unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem (personified as one of the deadly sins)

   Synonyms

   superbia

   Broader terms

   mortal sindeadly sin

Verb

1. be proud of

   Synonyms

   plumecongratulate

   Broader terms

   feelexperience

   Examples

   He prides himself on making it into law school