Proud

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /pɹaʊd/

Definitions

1. Feeling deep satisfaction and pleasure from one's own achievements, qualities, or possessions, or those of someone close
2. Experiencing a sense of self-respect and fulfillment due to personal accomplishments or the successes of loved ones
3. Exhibiting a heightened sense of self-esteem and joy derived from one's capabilities or the achievements of others

Etymology: The most striking thing about "proud" is that its oldest English sense was close to "arrogant" and "haughty," while the self-respecting sense readers use today is a later development. Old English "prūd" and "prūt" carried that haughty flavour, and the word's ancestry is uncertain. It may have come from Old French "prod" or "prut," meaning "brave" or "gallant," which itself traces back to Late Latin "prōde," "useful," from Latin "prōdesse," "to be of value." Yet the Old English forms with vowel changes, such as "prȳte" and "prȳtian," suggest the word may be older and native to English. The sense of bravery and nobility also survives in the Norse relatives. Old Norse "prúðr" meant "gallant, brave, magnificent, stately, handsome," and Icelandic "prúður" and Danish "prud" continue that family of meanings. German and Low German have cognate forms too, which points to a shared Germanic root rather than a borrowing alone.

Synonyms: pleased, satisfied, content, elated, joyful

Antonyms: ashamed, humble, modest, embarrassed, discontent