うぬぼれる

う

ぬ

ぼ

れ

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

うぬぼれる · ichidan verb

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

be conceited; be vain; have a big head

usually written using kana alone

Describes someone who overestimates their own ability, appearance, or worth. Often used in negative or admonishing contexts.

〈事こと〉にうぬぼれるto be conceited about something
彼かれは自じ分ぶんの才さい能のうにうぬぼれている。
He is conceited about his own talent.
うぬぼれるなdon't be so conceited! (a warning against arrogance)
少すこし勝かったくらいでうぬぼれるな。
Don't let a small win make you conceited.

思おもい上あがるN1
思い上がる and うぬぼれる both describe becoming conceited, but 思い上がる stresses overstepping one's proper place while うぬぼれる focuses on an inflated self-image.
自じ慢まんN3
自慢 is a noun/suru-verb for boasting about a specific achievement or possession, while うぬぼれる is an intransitive verb describing a general inflated sense of one's own worth.
高こう慢まん
高慢 is a な-adjective describing an arrogant, haughty attitude toward others, whereas うぬぼれる describes overestimating one's own ability or looks.
おごるN1
おごる describes becoming arrogant especially due to success or power, while うぬぼれる describes a more personal, vain overestimation of oneself.

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天てん狗ぐ
天狗になる is a vivid, colloquial idiom for getting a swelled head, similar to うぬぼれる but more informal and image-based.
のぼせるN1
うぬぼれる directly means to be conceited or vain, while のぼせる only reaches that meaning as one figurative extension of its core sense of a rush to the head.

謙けん遜そんN2
謙遜する means to be modest and downplay oneself, the opposite of うぬぼれる's inflated self-regard.

うぬぼれるUsage38%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are rare.
自惚うぬぼれるUsage56%
Rare kanji form; 自 means 'self' and 惚 means 'infatuated', but the word is normally written in kana.
己惚うぬぼれるUsage6%
rarely-used kanji form
Very rare kanji form; 己 is an alternative character for 'self'.

Formed from うぬ, “oneself,” and 惚れる, “to become infatuated,” literally expressing infatuation with oneself.