self-conscious

Self-conscious means overly aware of and sensitive to attention from others, often to the point of feeling anxious or embarrassed.

In this sense, self-conscious is always used negatively. A person can be self-conscious in general, or about a particular aspect of themselves. Much less commonly, it is used to mean aware of one’s existence.

Example: She says she never wears short-sleeved shirts because she’s self-conscious about the way her arms look.

The first records of self-conscious come from the 1600s, but it didn’t begin to be used in its current sense until around the 1800s. Conscious comes from the Latin conscius, which means “sharing knowledge” and is based on the Latin scīre, “to know.” In general, conscious means “aware of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.” In self-conscious, though, it means something more like “sensitive to something”—that something being what others think about oneself.

If a person is self-conscious, they are likely also shy, easily embarrassed, and anxious. If a person is self-conscious in general, it usually means they are very sensitive to how other people perceive them, think about them, or judge them—they feel people’s eyes on them all the time. Some people might not be self-conscious in general, but about something specific. This could be an aspect of their appearance that they’re insecure about, such as their skin, their teeth, or their height. Or it could be something they feel uncomfortable doing in front of other people, such as performing in front of a crowd. People who are not otherwise self-conscious may sometimes feel that way around people who they’ve just met, especially if they’re trying to make a good impression. A lot of people agree that the best way to avoid feeling self-conscious is to be yourself and be comfortable with who you are—to be self-confident.

Self-conscious does not mean the same thing as self–aware, which refers to having an active awareness of your feelings and how you treat others.

What are some other forms related to self-conscious?

• self-consciously (adverb)
• self-consciousness (noun)

What are some synonyms for self-conscious?

• embarrassed

What are some words that share a root or word element with self-conscious? 

• self
• conscious
• conscience

What are some words that often get used in discussing self–conscious?

• anxious
• attention
• insecure
• uncomfortable
• nervous
• uneasy
• shy
• awkward
• bashful

What are some words self-conscious may be commonly confused with?

• self-aware
• conscientious

Feeling self-conscious is never pleasant, so the term is always used negatively. It can be used to describe a general feeling, or a specific insecurity about something.

I dunno who needs this video today, but I got about a thousand comments from young people on my Instagram about how it’s made them feel less self conscious about their arms. Nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to any part of your body jiggling. We are people, not statues.❤️ https://t.co/N3odPHoZL5

— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) March 1, 2020

"She’s always really self-conscious about playing. She’s actually a really good guitarist. She played Joan Jett and she’s playing all the time in that. She’s really good, but she always denies it, especially in interviews all the time. She’s a good singer, as well." Robert pic.twitter.com/iIzntFeoZw

— E (@RKmyBabies) March 3, 2020

You should never be self conscious around me. I love you, never judge you, love you unfiltered and want you to feel free saying whatever is on your mind.

No matter how stupid it makes you sound.

— Cabo🍳 (@Shot_Of_Cabo) March 9, 2020

Which of the following words is an antonym (opposite) of self-conscious?

A. timid
B. awkward
C. anxious
D. confident