ego
Pluralegos
- 1How important and good a person thinks they are, sometimes too much.
Like a balloon that gets bigger every time people praise you.
His big ego made it hard for him to say sorry.
The new boss had so much ego that he never listened to others.
UsagePeople often say someone has a big ego.
Similarpride, vanity, self-esteem, conceit, self-importance
- 2In Freud's ideas, the part of your mind that deals with the real world and balances your wants and your conscience.
Like a referee who keeps your wishes and the real world playing fair.
A strong ego helps you balance what you want with what is real.
The ego balances your wishes against the demands of the real world.
Note
- 3The 'I' that feels separate, tied to your thoughts and wants, which spiritual teaching asks you to calm or move past.
The monk told us that real peace comes when the ego grows quiet.
In yoga class, the teacher asked us to let go of the ego and simply breathe.
Similarself
Note
Less common meaning
- 4The person at the center of a family tree, used to show how everyone else is related.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of ego apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
From Latin ego, meaning "I." Freud's translator picked it to translate the German word Ich ("I").
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- English ego comes from Latin ego, meaning "I". en.wiktionary.org
- Freud's translator chose ego to translate Freud's German term Ich. en.wikipedia.org
- German Ich derives from the pronoun meaning "I". en.wiktionary.org