SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does self-consciousness mean? 

• SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS (noun)
  The noun SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS has 2 senses:

1. embarrassment deriving from the feeling that others are critically aware of you

2. self-awareness plus the additional realization that others are similarly aware of you

  Familiarity information: SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Embarrassment deriving from the feeling that others are critically aware of you

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

self-consciousness; uncomfortableness; uneasiness

Hypernyms ("self-consciousness" is a kind of...):

embarrassment (the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public)

Derivation:

self-conscious (excessively and uncomfortably conscious of your appearance or behavior)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Self-awareness plus the additional realization that others are similarly aware of you

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("self-consciousness" is a kind of...):

self-awareness (awareness of your own individuality)

Antonym:

unselfconsciousness (the quality of being not self-conscious; unawareness of yourself or of others' views of yourself)

Derivation:

self-conscious (aware of yourself as an individual or of your own being and actions and thoughts)

 Context examples 

He was awakened from self-consciousness, but as he drew near, his eyes took on a strange expression.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Its focus is on spontaneous movement, concentration, visual and auditory objectivity, controlled self-consciousness, and responsiveness to interpersonal relationships.

(Fleming Method Relaxation, NCI Thesaurus)

At first, amid the applause of the gods, he betrayed a trifle of his old self-consciousness and awkwardness.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

He backed away, stiff-legged with self-consciousness, and tried to go around her.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Also, at times, when his god looked at him and spoke to him, he betrayed an awkward self-consciousness, caused by the struggle of his love to express itself and his physical inability to express it.

(White Fang, by Jack London)