ego
ego — noun
1. the way you think about how much you are worth as a person, especially whether y
the way you think about how much you are worth as a person, especially whether you feel confident or believe you are better than other people
Ravi's ego was badly bruised when his team rejected his project proposal.
collocation: ego + bruised / damaged / hurt
A healthy ego helps people stay confident when they face difficult challenges.
collocation: healthy / strong / fragile ego
Some managers constantly stroke their employees' egos to keep them motivated.
Aiko tried to set her ego aside and listen to her coworker's suggestions.
The director's inflated ego made it impossible for anyone to offer constructive criticism.
- self-esteem
more neutral; ego can carry a negative connotation of excessive pride
- self-importance
always negative, focuses on inflated sense of one's own value
- pride
broader; can be positive (pride in one's work) while ego usually relates to oneself
- vanity
specifically about appearance or achievements; more superficial than ego
用法筆記
Often used with possessive adjectives (his ego, her ego) or with adjectives showing size or condition: big, massive, fragile, healthy, bruised.
常見錯誤
2. in Freudian psychology, the part of the mind that deals with reality and tries t
in Freudian psychology, the part of the mind that deals with reality and tries to balance our hidden desires with what society considers right or acceptable
In Freudian theory, the ego develops as a child learns to interact with the world.
technical term paired with id and superego
When Theo felt jealous of his friend's promotion, his ego helped him stay calm instead of lashing out.
ego mediates id impulses into socially acceptable behaviour
Leila's therapist said a weak ego made even small work problems feel overwhelming after the divorce.
Therapist Yara explained how the ego, id, and superego work together in the mind.
用法筆記
This is a technical term from psychoanalysis. Outside academic or clinical contexts, Sense 1 (SELF-ESTEEM) is far more common. Distinguished from id (pure instinct) and superego (moral conscience).
3. your awareness of yourself as a unique individual — the identity that sets you a
your awareness of yourself as a unique individual — the identity that sets you apart from others and gives you a feeling of being the same person day after day
After retiring, Tomás felt he had lost his ego and needed to rediscover himself.
philosophical sense: loss of ego / sense of self
The concept of the ego is central to many Eastern philosophical traditions.
Kofi's sense of ego was deeply connected to his role as a community leader.
Losing his sight forced Diego to rebuild his ego based on abilities, not appearances.
- self
broader and more common; ego in this sense is more formal
- identity
includes social and cultural dimensions; ego is more about inner self-awareness
- self-consciousness
emphasises awareness of oneself as a thinking being
- other
people or the world outside the self
- external world
everything that exists outside one's personal identity
用法筆記
This sense is close in meaning to the psychoanalytic sense (Sense 2, PSYCHOANALYSIS) but is used in general philosophy and everyday reflection rather than clinical psychology. It focuses on the continuous experience of being a unique person.