Ego and Arrogance
2024-08-10
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1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Ahmed in Egypt about the usage of the words "arrogance" and "ego."
2Dear Teacher,
3I'm just asking about the difference between arrogance and ego because I hear actors use them interchangeably in movies.
4Thank you for writing to us, Ahmed. I'm happy to answer this question.
5First, let's explain the word "interchangeably." It describes using two things for the same purpose.
6For example, when we talk about the weather, the words "cloudy" and "overcast" mean the same thing.
7"Ego" and "arrogance" are both nouns and are often interchangeable.
8The American dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster defines "ego" as having a sense of self-worth and "arrogance" as having a much greater sense of self-worth over others.
9"Arrogant" and "egotistical" are the adjective forms of these words.
10An arrogant or egotistical person thinks he or she is better than other people.
11You have heard actors using both terms because they usually mean the same thing.
12But we have particular ways of using each of these words.
13Here are some examples of how to use the two words:
14That actor has such a big ego. He agrees to be in movies only if he gets to play the leading role.
15You can feel her arrogance when she makes all those negative comments about other artists.
16We sometimes say that a person "has a big ego."
17But we do not say that a person "has a big arrogance."
18That is because "arrogance" is a non-count noun.
19To have "an inflated ego" is another common way of saying that a person is egotistical.
20"Arrogance" is often used with a negative meaning.
21But "ego," defined as a sense of self-worth, is neither positive nor negative. For example:
22The teenage years are important for the development of a healthy ego.
23When a person feels their ego has been affected negatively, we say that person has "a wounded ego."
24And while we can use the expression "a big ego," we rarely say "a small ego."
25Instead, we say a person "is not egotistical."
26Or, we simply say a person is humble.
27For our readers and listeners, do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
28And that's Ask a Teacher.
29I'm Andrew Smith.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Ahmed in Egypt about the usage of the words "arrogance" and "ego." 2Question 3Dear Teacher, 4I'm just asking about the difference between arrogance and ego because I hear actors use them interchangeably in movies. 5Answer 6Thank you for writing to us, Ahmed. I'm happy to answer this question. 7First, let's explain the word "interchangeably." It describes using two things for the same purpose. For example, when we talk about the weather, the words "cloudy" and "overcast" mean the same thing. 8"Ego" and "arrogance" are both nouns and are often interchangeable. The American dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster defines "ego" as having a sense of self-worth and "arrogance" as having a much greater sense of self-worth over others. 9"Arrogant" and "egotistical" are the adjective forms of these words. An arrogant or egotistical person thinks he or she is better than other people. 10You have heard actors using both terms because they usually mean the same thing. But we have particular ways of using each of these words. Here are some examples of how to use the two words: 11That actor has such a big ego. He agrees to be in movies only if he gets to play the leading role. 12You can feel her arrogance when she makes all those negative comments about other artists. 13We sometimes say that a person "has a big ego." But we do not say that a person "has a big arrogance." That is because "arrogance" is a non-count noun. 14To have "an inflated ego" is another common way of saying that a person is egotistical. 15"Arrogance" is often used with a negative meaning. But "ego," defined as a sense of self-worth, is neither positive nor negative. For example: 16The teenage years are important for the development of a healthy ego. 17When a person feels their ego has been affected negatively, we say that person has "a wounded ego." 18And while we can use the expression "a big ego," we rarely say "a small ego." Instead, we say a person "is not egotistical." Or, we simply say a person is humble. 19For our readers and listeners, do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 20And that's Ask a Teacher. 21I'm Andrew Smith. 22Andrew Smith wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 23______________________________________________ 24Words in This Story 25humble -adj. not too proud, not believing one is better than other people.