self-respect

/ˌself rɪˈspekt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌself rɪˈspekt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌself-ri-ˈspekt/ (ame, mw)

self-respect — noun

1. The feeling that you are a person of value and deserve to be treated well — a se

1.名詞B2
釋義

The feeling that you are a person of value and deserve to be treated well — a sense of your own worth that influences how you allow others to treat you.

例句

Jude had enough self-respect to walk away from a job that treated him badly.

self-respect + enough + to-infinitive

Losing her job made Yara question her self-respect.

collocation: question one's self-respect

同義詞
  • self-esteem

    broader term covering overall confidence and personal value; self-respect focuses more on how you let others treat you

  • self-worth

    emphasises the belief that you have value as a person, independent of achievements or opinions

  • dignity

    refers to the quality of being worthy of respect, often in difficult or humiliating situations

反義詞

文法句型

possessive + self-respect

sense of self-respect

用法筆記

Uncountable — never use with an indefinite article (*a self-respect). Commonly paired with possessive adjectives (my, his, her, their) or the phrase 'sense of'.

常見錯誤

❌She has a strong self-respect.
✅She has strong self-respect.
💡self-respect is uncountable and does not take an indefinite article.
❌He lost his self-respects after the failure.
✅He lost his self-respect after the failure.
💡self-respect has no plural form.

2. Care for your own reputation and moral standards, shown by a refusal to do thing

2.名詞C1
釋義

Care for your own reputation and moral standards, shown by a refusal to do things you consider wrong, shameful, or beneath you.

例句

Zola refused the money out of self-respect, saying she could not take payment for something she believed in.

out of self-respect (motivation clause)

Vinícius felt that signing that contract would damage his self-respect.

collocation: damage one's self-respect

同義詞
  • dignity

    closely related; dignity often refers to calm, serious behaviour that earns respect, while self-respect is about the internal moral standard

  • integrity

    focuses on honesty and strong moral principles rather than on personal pride or reputation

  • pride

    can overlap but may carry negative connotations of arrogance; self-respect is always positive

反義詞
  • shame

    a painful feeling of having done something wrong or dishonourable

  • dishonour

    loss of respect from others or from oneself due to improper behaviour

文法句型

out of self-respect

possessive + self-respect

用法筆記

Common in the fixed phrase 'out of self-respect' to explain a refusal based on moral standards. Frequently appears with possessive determiners and verbs of protection or damage (protect, damage, lose).

常見錯誤

❌He did it out of self-respects.
✅He did it out of self-respect.
💡self-respect is always singular.
❌I have a self-respect about my reputation.
✅I have self-respect when it comes to my reputation.
💡no indefinite article with uncountable self-respect.