ego

Definitions

ego is simply Latin for 'I' — the self. English borrowed the pronoun as a noun: 'the I,' the part of you that knows it is you. From the clinical Freudian sense ('the conscious self') it narrowed in everyday use to 'your sense of your own importance,' which is why an ego can be big, fragile, bruised, or boosted.

Why It Means This

Ego is one of the rare cases where a whole language's word for 'I' became an English noun. Because it names the self as a thing, English treats that self as having size and durability: you can inflate it, deflate it, bruise it, or stroke it. The Freudian 'conscious self' meaning lives on in psychology, but in daily speech ego almost always carries the flavor of self-importance — usually with a hint of criticism.

Common Collocations

• 1.a big ego很大的自负心
• 2.bruise someone's ego伤害某人的自尊心
• 3.boost someone's ego增强某人的自信心
• 4.a fragile ego脆弱的自尊心
• 5.massage someone's ego讨好/奉承某人

Example Sentences

• 1.

  His ego took a hit when the audience laughed at his speech.

• 2.

  She has a huge ego and assumes she is always the smartest person in the room.

• 3.

  In Freud's theory, the ego balances the demands of the id and the superego.

• 4.

  A little praise can boost anyone's ego after a rough week.

Easily Confused

ego vs pride — Both relate to self-regard, but pride can be healthy and earned (pride in your work), while ego usually points to an inflated, self-important sense of self that needs protecting. You take pride in something; an ego is something you simply have (often too much of).