egoe‧go /ˈiːɡəʊ, ˈeɡəʊ $ -ɡoʊ/ ●○○ noun (plural egos) [countable] 
Richard has the biggest ego (=thinks he is very clever and important) of anyone I’ve ever met. That promotion really boosted her ego (=made her feel better about herself). I need someone to massage my bruised ego (=when you feel less confident than before). a fragile ego → alter ego2 technical the part of your mind with which you think and take action, according to Freudian psychology
WORD ORIGINego
Origin:
1800-1900 Latin ‘I’EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- Expressed in terms of individual psychology, the danger was one of dissolution of the painfully acquired superego and corresponding regression in the ego.
- He could deflate the most overblown of egos.
- He had ego and no ego, both at once.
- The ego will brook no delay, he wrote.
- To say that a furnace with a thermostat has a self is not to say it has an ego.
- Unconditional surrender was more than his fragile ego could bear.
- With all these men, however, their egos are clearly strong enough to overcome any residual fear of the feminine.
Longman Language Activatorto make someone feel more confident
· Teaching abroad was good for me. It gave me a lot of confidence.· 'The activities,' said Harris, 'are designed to give children confidence in their reading abilities.'give somebody the confidence to do something · The country needs the backing of the international community to give it the confidence to rebuild its war-battered economy.
an event or action that boosts someone's confidence quickly makes them feel more confident: · Winning this game will really boost the team's confidence.· To boost my confidence I went for a haircut and bought some new clothes.
to gradually make someone feel more confident: · The games are designed to make maths fun and build up youngsters' confidence.· Build confidence by assigning tasks which draw on an employee's areas of strength.
to raise the level of confidence and satisfaction among a group of people: · A pay raise would boost employee morale a great deal.· Visits by celebrities and politicians were meant to boost morale among the troops.
to make someone feel more confident about themselves, for example by saying good things about their appearance, character, or work: · It was nice to have my work praised for once -- it really boosted my ego.· The fact that Jane was attracted to him boosted his ego quite a bit.
to make someone feel happier or more confident: · Nothing could have given the team a bigger boost than the victory over Canada.· When I was feeling down, talking to Marion always gave me a lift.
WORD SETSagoraphobia, nounagoraphobic, noun-aholic, suffixanalyse, verbanalysis, nounanalyst, nounanorexia, nounantidepressant, nounautism, nounbattle fatigue, nounbehaviourism, nounbreakdown, nounbulimia, nouncatharsis, nouncertify, verbclaustrophobia, nouncognition, nouncognitive, adjectivecomplex, nouncompulsive, adjectivecounsel, verbcounselling, nouncrazed, adjectivecrazy, adjectivedefence mechanism, noundelusion, noundemented, adjectivedementia, noundenial, noundepressed, adjectivedepression, noundepressive, adjectivedepressive, nounderanged, adjectivediminished responsibility, noundipsomaniac, noundisordered, adjectivedisturbance, noundysfunctional, adjectiveeating disorder, nouneccentricity, nounego, nounelectric shock therapy, nounemotional, adjectiveexhibitionism, nounextra-sensory perception, nounfixation, nounFreudian, adjectiveFreudian slip, noungroup therapy, nounhallucinate, verbhydrophobia, nounhypnosis, nounhypnotic, adjectivehypnotise, verbhypnotist, nounhypnotize, verbid, nouninferiority complex, nouninsane, adjectiveinsanity, nounkleptomania, nounkleptomaniac, nounlibido, nounlinear, adjectivemaladjusted, adjectivemania, nounmanic, adjectivemanic depression, nounmanic depressive, nounmental, adjectivemental age, nounmental hospital, nounmentally handicapped, adjectivemidlife crisis, nounmisogynist, nounmixed up, adjectivenerve, nounnervous, adjectivenervous breakdown, nounnervous system, nounneural, adjectiveneuro-, prefixneurology, nounneurosis, nounneurotic, adjectiveobsessive, nounoedipal, adjectiveOedipus complex, nounpadded cell, nounparanoia, nounparanoid, adjectivepathological, adjectivepathology, nounpatterning, nounphallic, adjectivephobia, noun-phobia, suffixphrenology, nounpost-traumatic stress disorder, nounprecognition, nounpsyche, nounpsychiatric, adjectivepsychiatrist, nounpsychiatry, nounpsychic, adjectivepsycho, nounpsycho-, prefixpsychoanalysis, nounpsychoanalyst, nounpsychoanalyze, verbpsychobabble, nounpsychodrama, nounpsychokinesis, nounpsychological, adjectivepsychologist, nounpsychology, nounpsychopath, nounpsychosis, nounpsychosomatic, adjectivepsychotherapy, nounpsychotic, adjectivepyromaniac, nounrepression, nounresidential treatment facility, nounRorschach test, nounsadism, nounsadist, nounsafety valve, nounsanity, nounscar, nounscar, verbschizoid, adjectiveschizophrenia, nounschizophrenic, adjectiveschizophrenic, nounscrewed up, adjectivesocialize, verbsociopath, nounsplit personality, nounsubconscious, adjectivesubconscious, nounsuggestion, nounsuperego, nountherapy, nountorment, nountrance, nountrauma, nounvoyeur, nounwell-adjusted, adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Richard has the biggest ego (=thinks he is very clever and important) of anyone I’ve ever met. That promotion really boosted her ego (=made her feel better about herself). I need someone to massage my bruised ego (=when you feel less confident than before).COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The win boosted the team’s confidence. The poll provided a morale boost for the Conservatives. The incident had bruised his pride.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
Richard has the biggest ego (=thinks he is very clever and important) of anyone I’ve ever met. That promotion really boosted her ego (=made her feel better about herself). I need someone to massage my bruised ego (=when you feel less confident than before). The win boosted the team’s confidence. The poll provided a morale boost for the Conservatives. The incident had bruised his pride.· Surprising data from the machines can still clash with big egos that want to trust to old-fashioned hunches.· But Rhee, self-righteous and unaccommodating of divergent viewpoints, had the biggest ego of them all.· A big ego so utterly ungracious and another big ego, Niki's, that had to swallow that kind of shit.· The heavily favored Cowboys dominated the news with their strong personalities and big egos.· A big ego so utterly ungracious and another big ego, Niki's, that had to swallow that kind of shit.· That, coming from one of the biggest egos in the paddock, was a bit much.· Only by some one with a bigger ego.
· At college I had been thoroughly disgusted with the male egos that dominated the left-wing student politics.· Ellen knew it was more an affront to his male ego than losing Jackie.· The most important controlling factor in these families is not the male ego but hierarchy.· The maintaining of the male ego in perfect condition remains an essential activity of the nuclear family.
NOUN· Conscience is a function of the ego ideal, and is critical of failure to live up to the ego ideal.· For those people whose ego ideal has ruled them with especial strictness, the group situation can appear particularly attractive.· The ego ideal, or super-ego, results from two important factors, one biological, the other historical.· The individual gains no narcissistic gratification from his ego ideal.· Social feelings arise, too, through identifications with other members of a group who all internalize the same ego ideal.
· I have no ego problems with people using my ideas to suit their tastes.· But you see, for all the boasting, he didn't have ego problems.
· My aggressive five-year ego trip along the path of separatism was over.· Atlanta is on a massive ego trip, mixed with a congenital inferiority complex that makes Atlantans overly eager to impress others.· To possess power is the ultimate ego trip for many people.· The chance of an ego trip, to add to all the ones I've already made?
VERB· Equally Odette and her alter ego Odile attract the prince less through their enchanted beauty than through their artlessness.· He was not much closer to Belafonte, whose alter ego he played in the show.· Margara seems very much the alter ego of her creator.· Straus was Ickes's alter ego a newspaperman, a liberal, a fighter, a curmudgeon.· During the past couple of years, Jerry had practically become his younger alter ego.
· Why would anyone renounce their entire career just to boost their ego?· This need for self-esteem can be carefully nurtured so that the horse will want to perform to boost its own ego even further.· It made them Feel big, boosted their egos.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► somebody’s alter ego► stroke somebody’s ego
1the opinion that you have about yourselfbig/enormous etc ego- This organization spends more time massaging egos than developing new products.
Richard has the biggest ego (=thinks he is very clever and important) of anyone I’ve ever met. That promotion really boosted her ego (=made her feel better about herself). I need someone to massage my bruised ego (=when you feel less confident than before). a fragile ego → alter ego2 technical the part of your mind with which you think and take action, according to Freudian psychology