proud

The word "proud" is an adjective you can use when describing the good feelings you have about someone you know–a family member or a friend. We also use "proud" when we feel good about ourselves:

• Bob is proud of himself for figuring out how to fix his bike.
• He’s proud of the work that he has done.
• Diane said she was proud of herself because she’s living independently without any help from her parents.
• The teacher is proud of Nguyen because of the progress she has made in her English class.
• Samuel is proud of his friend, Emmanuel, because he has become a very successful businessman in the United States.
• Tigist is proud of her family. They are all doing well in their new lives in Minnesota.
• I’m proud of my children. They get good grades in school and they’re respectful of their parents.

You can also use "proud" to describe the good feelings you have about a place that you are from or about your nationality.

• Pierre is proud of his French heritage.
• Li is proud to be Chinese.
• Nasra is proud of her Somalian customs.
• Americans feel proud of their country for helping to secure human rights for people around the world.

To form an adverb, add "ly" to "proud."

• Jill and John proudly announced the birth of a baby boy last week.
• The graduates walked proudly into the auditorium at the beginning of the ceremony.
• The young man could not speak proudly of the country he was forced to leave.

The noun form of "proud" is "pride."

• You should take pride in your accomplishments.
• The people who work at that company show pride in their work and the products they produce.

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This page was first published on June 23, 2012. It was updated on February 25, 2016.