What does "proud" mean?
Feeling honoured (by something); feeling happy or satisfied about an event or fact; gratified.
Proud
/pɹaʊd/ adj, name
adj, name ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Feeling honoured (by something); feeling happy or satisfied about an event or fact; gratified.
- Grammar: proud is listed as adj, name.
- Nearest alternatives: aloof, arrogant, assured, august.
- Useful contrasts: ashamed, embarrassed, humble.
- Usage evidence: I am proud to be a part of this project.
How to use "proud"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "proud" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "proud" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "proud" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "proud" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "proud" is acting as adj, name in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aloof" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "proud", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Feeling honoured (by something); feeling happy or satisfied about an event or fact; gratified.
"We're proud of having won / to have won."
- 2 Feeling honoured (by something); feeling happy or satisfied about an event or fact; gratified.; That makes one feel proud (of something one did)
"That was not the proudest thing I did but I can’t deny it."
- 3 Possessed of a due sense of what one deserves or is worth.
"I was too proud to apologise."
- 4 Having too high an opinion of oneself; arrogant, supercilious, prideful.
"Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand ioyne in hand, he ſhall not be vnpuniſhed."
- 5 Generating a sense of pride; being a cause for pride.
"It was a proud day when we finally won the championship."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 standing upwards as in the manner of a proud person; stately or majestic.
"Norsus [...] walked between the lines of soldiers in their bronze armour; keen swords in their hands and proud plumes fluttering from their helmets."
- 7 Standing out or raised; swollen.
"After it had healed, the scar tissue stood proud of his flesh."
- 8 Brave, valiant; gallant. obsolete
- 9 Excited by sexual desire; specifically of a female animal: in heat. obsolete
Adjective
- 1 having or displaying great dignity or nobility wordnet
- 2 feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A characteristical surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I am proud to be a part of this project."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "proud"?
Common synonyms include: aloof, arrogant, assured, august, awe inspiring, awe-inspiring.
How do you use "proud" in a sentence?
I am proud to be a part of this project.
How do you pronounce "proud"?
Pronounced /pɹaʊd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English proud, prout, prut, from Old English prūd, prūt (“proud, arrogant, haughty”) (compare Old English prȳtung (“pride”); prȳde, prȳte (“pride”)), probably from Old French prod, prud (“brave, gallant”) (modern French preux), from Late Latin prōde (“useful”), derived from Latin prōdesse (“to be of value”); however, the Old English umlaut derivatives prȳte, prȳtian, etc. suggest the word may be older and possibly native. Compare Old Norse prýði (“ornament; gallantry, bravery”). See also pride. Cognate with German Low German praud, Old Norse prúðr (“gallant, brave, magnificent, stately, handsome, fine”) (Icelandic prúður, Middle Swedish prudh, Danish prud).
Etymology 2
English surname, from the adjective proud.