VOA名师答疑2024--Ego and Arrogance

Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Ahmed in Egypt about the usage of the words "arrogance¹" and "ego²."

Question

Dear Teacher,

I'm just asking about the difference between arrogance and ego because I hear actors use them interchangeably in movies.

Answer

Thank you for writing to us, Ahmed. I'm happy to answer this question.

First, 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 "overcast³" mean the same thing.

"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.

"Arrogant⁴" and "egotistical" are the adjective forms of these words. An arrogant or egotistical person thinks he or she is better than other people.

You 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:

That actor has such a big ego. He agrees to be in movies only if he gets to play the leading role.

You can feel her arrogance when she makes all those negative comments about other artists.

We 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.

To have "an inflated⁵ ego" is another common way of saying that a person is egotistical.

"Arrogance" is often used with a negative meaning. But "ego," defined as a sense of self-worth, is neither positive nor negative. For example:

The teenage years are important for the development of a healthy ego.

When a person feels their ego has been affected⁶ negatively, we say that person has "a wounded ego."

And 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 humble⁷.

Words in This Story

humble -adj. not too proud, not believing one is better than other people.

1 arrogance   

n.傲慢，自大

参考例句：

• His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。
• Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。

2 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

3 overcast   

adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天

参考例句：

• The overcast and rainy weather found out his arthritis.阴雨天使他的关节炎发作了。
• The sky is overcast with dark clouds.乌云满天。

4 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

5 inflated   

adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• He has an inflated sense of his own importance. 他自视过高。
• They all seem to take an inflated view of their collective identity. 他们对自己的集体身份似乎都持有一种夸大的看法。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。