noun

self-love

self-LUV

Self-love (noun) means Regard for your own wellbeing and worth, shown in treating yourself with the same care, honesty and forgiveness you would give someone you love. Example: “Learning to say no was the beginning of self-love for her.”

noun

Regard for your own wellbeing and worth, shown in treating yourself with the same care, honesty and forgiveness you would give someone you love.

"Learning to say no was the beginning of self-love for her."

"Therapy framed rest as an act of self-love, not laziness."

formal, older use Excessive concern with yourself; vanity or conceit.

"His memoirs are an exercise in undisguised self-love."

euphemistic Masturbation.

"The chapter on self-love is the frankest in the book."

How to use self-love

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTreating yourself kindly and believing you are worth it.

When to use it

The positive sense now dominates and is standard in wellbeing writing; the older vanity sense survives mainly in literary and formal prose.

Easily confused with

self-care self-esteem → narcissism →

Common pairings

practise self-love act of self-love radical self-love

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Can you complete this real example?

Learning to say no was the beginning of _____ for her.

Synonyms

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self-acceptance self-regard self-compassion self-worth vanity narcissism conceit egotism masturbation self-pleasure

Antonyms

self-loathing self-hatred self-neglect modesty humility

Related words

pride ego vanity humility arrogance masturbation dresser emptiness

Rhymes for self-love

love wove move cove hove Jove rove Dove above drove prove grove

See all rhymes for self-love →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between self-love and narcissism?

Self-love means valuing yourself in a way that leaves room for other people, and it can coexist with admitting fault. Narcissism needs external admiration, treats other people as suppliers of it, and collapses under criticism.

What is the difference between self-love and self-care?

Self-love is the underlying attitude; self-care is what it looks like in practice. Self-care can be done mechanically without any of the attitude behind it, which is why routines alone often feel hollow.

Is self-love selfish?

No. Selfishness means putting your interests above other people's; self-love means not putting yours permanently last. The two are frequently confused by people raised to treat self-denial as a virtue.

What is the meaning of self-love?

"self-love" (noun) means regard for your own wellbeing and worth, shown in treating yourself with the same care, honesty and forgiveness you would give someone you love.

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