nervous or uncomfortable because you know what people think about you or your actions
He looked uncomfortable, like a self-conscious adolescent.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
self-conscious
adjective
worried about what other people think of you:
She walked into her new school feeling very self-conscious.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
self-conscious
ˌself-ˈconscious BrE AmE adjective
1. worried and embarrassed about what you look like or what other people think of you
self-conscious about
Jerry’s pretty self-conscious about his weight.
2. self-conscious art, writing etc shows that the artist etc is paying too much attention to how the public will react to their work
—self-consciously adverb:
The boys posed rather self-consciously for the photo.
—self-consciousness noun [uncountable]
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
self-conscious
ˌself-ˈconscious [self-conscious self-consciously self-consciousness] adjective
1. ~ (about sth) nervous or embarrassed about your appearance or what other people think of you
• He's always been self-conscious about being so short.
• She was a shy, self-conscious girl.
2. (often disapproving) done in a way that shows you are aware of the effect that is being produced
• The humour of the play is self-conscious and contrived.
Opp: unselfconscious
Derived Words: self-consciously ▪ self-consciousness
Example Bank:
• He studied her in a way that made her very self-conscious.
• He's always been self-conscious about being so short.
• Taken aback by her frankness, he gave a little self-conscious laugh.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
ˌ self- ˈ conscious / ˌselfˈkɒn.ʃəs / / -ˈkɑːn- / adjective
C1 nervous or uncomfortable because you know what people think about you or your actions:
He looked uncomfortable, like a self-conscious adolescent.
ˌ self- ˈ consciously / ˌselfˈkɒn.ʃəs.li / / -ˈkɑːn- / adverb
ˌ self- ˈ consciousness / ˌselfˈkɒn.ʃəs.nəs / / -ˈkɑːn- / noun [ U ]
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
self-conscious
1) ADJ-GRADED: usu v-link ADJ, oft ADJ about n Someone who is self-conscious is easily embarrassed and nervous because they feel that everyone is looking at them and judging them.
I felt a bit self-conscious in my swimming costume...
Bess was self-conscious about being shorter than her two friends.
Derived words:
self-consciously ADV-GRADED ADV with v I glanced down at my dress jacket a little self-consciously... She was fiddling self-consciously with her wedding ring.
self-consciousness N-UNCOUNT ...her painful self-consciousness.
2) ADJ-GRADED If you describe someone or something as self-conscious, you mean that they are strongly aware of who or what they are. [FORMAL]
They were forged by them, moreover, into a self-conscious nation as early as the 10th century...
Putting the work together is a very self-conscious process.
Derived words:
self-consciously ADV-GRADED ADV adj The world which the book inhabits seems too self-consciously literary, too introverted... The place is as self-consciously trendy as they come.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
self-conscious
self–con·scious /ˌsɛlfˈkɑːnʃəs/ adj [more ~; most ~]
1 : uncomfortably nervous about or embarrassed by what other people think about you
• She's self-conscious whenever she has to give a speech.
- often + about
• He's very self-conscious about his appearance.
2 usually disapproving : done in a way that shows an awareness of the effect that is produced : done in a deliberate way
• the self-conscious irony in the play
• a self-conscious attempt to win people's sympathy
- self–con·scious·ly adv
• He self-consciously smoothed his hair.
- self–con·scious·ness noun [noncount]