pride

A person feels pride when he or she feels good about himself or herself or about other people. There’s also a feeling of pride about one’s work or something that a person makes.

• John takes a lot of pride in the furniture that he makes.
• Maria felt tremendous pride after winning the race.
• Bill’s parents feel great pride when they talk about his accomplishments.
• The winner of the race was overwhelmed with pride after receiving a gold medal.
• The pride they feel is shown in the smiles on their faces.

He takes great pride in owning an antique car.

You can use "pride" as a verb, but this usage of the word almost always requires a reflexive pronoun:

• He prides himself on being able to play the guitar.
• She prides herself on her cooking.
• They pride themselves on their athletic abilities.

The word "proud" is the adjective form of "pride."

• He feels proud of himself.
• Helen’s family is proud of her accomplishments in school.
• Richard is proud to be an American.
• I’m proud of my kids.
• I’m so proud of you!

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This page was first published on August 11, 2012. It was updated on March 15, 2016.