The everyday ego meaning is a person's sense of their own worth and importance. Someone with a big ego thinks highly of themselves, sometimes too highly; someone whose ego is bruised feels their pride has been hurt.
The word has deeper senses too. In psychology it names the part of the mind that deals with reality and makes decisions, and in philosophy it simply means the self, the "I" that thinks and acts. Latin ego literally means "I." Below we sort out each sense, common phrases such as ego boost and alter ego, and the tricky pair egoism and egotism.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Self-esteem or self-importance; the selfPart of speech
Noun (plural: egos)Pronunciation
EE-goh (also EG-oh in some British speech)Origin
Latin ego, IRelated words
egotistic, egocentric, egoism, egotism, alter egoOpposite ideas
humility, modesty, selflessnessRegister
Neutral; technical in psychology and philosophy
Ego meaning, from daily chat to the textbook
- Self-importance (everyday sense). How much a person values themselves and wants others to notice. "His ego could not handle losing to a junior." Usually used when the feeling is too strong.
- Self-esteem (neutral sense). A healthy sense of your own worth. "The praise gave her ego a lift." Here it is not an insult at all.
- Psychology. In psychoanalytic theory from the early twentieth century, the mind was pictured in three parts: the id (basic urges), the superego (conscience and rules), and the ego, which balances them against the real world.
- Philosophy. The conscious, thinking self, the subject that experiences things, as opposed to everything outside it.
Phrases built around ego
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a big or inflated ego | believing you matter more than you do |
| a bruised or fragile ego | pride that is easily hurt |
| an ego boost | something that makes you feel good about yourself |
| to stroke someone's ego | to flatter them, often to get something |
| an ego trip | an action done mainly to feel important |
| to check your ego at the door | to set pride aside, for example in a team |
| an alter ego | a second self or another side of a person; Latin for "other I" |
Examples in sentences
- Getting a callback after the interview was a huge ego boost.
- The two managers let their egos turn a small budget question into a month-long feud.
- He laughs at himself easily; there is very little ego in the way he leads.
- On stage she becomes her loud, glittering alter ego, then goes home and reads quietly.
- Losing the chess final bruised his ego more than his ranking.
Egoism, egotism, egocentric: not the same
| Word | What it describes |
|---|---|
| Egotism | Talking or thinking about yourself too much; conceit. An egotist brings every conversation back to himself. |
| Egoism | In ethics, the view that people do or should act in their own self-interest. Also used loosely for selfishness. |
| Egocentric | Seeing everything from your own point of view, often without noticing others' views. Psychologists use it of young children, without blame. |
| Egomaniac | An informal, harsh word for someone obsessed with their own importance. |
In casual speech people blur egoism and egotism, but in careful writing egotism is about vanity and egoism is about self-interest.
Is having an ego bad?
Not necessarily. Everyone has an ego in the sense of a self, and a steady sense of your own worth helps you set boundaries and recover from setbacks. The trouble starts when the need to look right or important outweighs other things, like learning, fairness or kindness. A fragile ego is often more of a problem than a big one, because it reacts badly to any criticism.
In some spiritual and meditation traditions, ego refers to the self-centred sense of being separate from others, and practice aims to loosen its grip. That is a different, more specialised use from the psychology textbook. Related words on this site include arrogant, vanity and pride.
From a Latin pronoun to a household word
Any honest definition of ego starts with grammar: it is simply the Latin pronoun for I. Writers on philosophy in English were already using it for the conscious, thinking self before psychology took it up. The psychology sense became widespread when early twentieth-century psychoanalytic writing in German, which used the ordinary German word for I, was translated into English using the Latin form. The everyday meaning of self-importance grew from there. For the wider field, see our pages on psychology and introspection, or explore more personality words under people and feelings, where the ego definition sits beside its many cousins.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of ego in plain English?
Ego means how you see yourself and how important you feel. If someone has a big ego, they think they are very important. If their ego is hurt, their pride has taken a knock.
Is ego a negative word?
It depends on the phrase. A big ego or an ego trip is negative. An ego boost is positive, and in psychology ego is a neutral technical term for part of the mind.
How do psychologists define ego?
In psychoanalytic theory, the ego is the part of the personality that deals with reality. It balances basic desires against moral rules and the demands of the outside world.
What does alter ego mean?
Alter ego is Latin for "other I." It means a second identity or a very different side of someone's personality, or sometimes a trusted friend who is like a second self.
How do you pronounce ego?
The most common pronunciation is EE-goh. Some British speakers say EG-oh, and either is fine.
What is the opposite of ego?
There is no single opposite word. Humility, modesty and selflessness describe the qualities most often set against an inflated ego.