proud

      English

      Alternative forms

      Etymology

      From Middle English proud, prout, prut, from Old English prūd, prūt ("proud, arrogant, haughty"; compare Old English prȳtung (“pride”); prȳde, prȳte (“pride”)). Cognate with Old Norse prúðr ("gallant, brave, magnificent, stately, handsome, fine"; > Icelandic prúður, Middle Swedish prudh, Danish prud), of unknown origin. Perhaps from Vulgar Latin, from Old French prod, prud ("brave, gallant"; > French preux), from an assumed Late Latin *prōdis, related to Latin prōdesse (“to be of value”); however, the Old English umlaut derivatives prȳte, prȳtian, etc. suggest the word may be older and possibly native. See also pride.

      Pronunciation

      Adjective

      proud (comparative prouder, superlative proudest)

      1. Gratified; feeling honoured (by something); feeling satisfied or happy about a fact or event.
        I am proud of Sivu's schoolwork.
      2. Possessed of a due sense of what one is worth or deserves.
        • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, The China Governess[1]:
          ‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”. […]’.
        I was too proud to apologise.
      3. (chiefly biblical)  Having too high an opinion of oneself; arrogant, supercilious.
        • 1611, Proverbs 16:5, King James Version
          Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
        • 1907, Hilaire Belloc, Cautionary Tales for Children, Godolphin Horne Who was cursed with the Sin of Pride, and Became a Boot-Black:
          Godolphin Horne was Nobly Born; / He held the human race in scorn, / And lived with all his sisters where / His father lived, in Berkeley Square. / And oh! The lad was deathly proud! / He never shook your hand or bowed, / But merely smirked and nodded thus: / How perfectly ridiculous! / Alas! That such Affected Tricks / Should flourish in a child of six!
      4. Generating a sense of pride; being a cause for pride.
        It was a proud day when we finally won the championship.
      5. (obsolete)  Brave, valiant; gallant.
      6. Standing out or raised; swollen.
        After it had healed, the scar tissue stood proud of his flesh.
      7. (obsolete)  Excited by sexual desire; (of female animals) in heat.
      8. Happy, usually used with a sense of honor, as in "I'm so proud to have you in our town." But occasionally just plain happy as in "I'm proud to see gas prices down." This is a widespread colloquial usage in the southern United States.

      Synonyms

      Antonyms

      Derived terms

      Terms derived from proud

      Related terms

      Translations

      gratified, feeling honoured, feeling satisfied
      possessed of a due sense of what one is worth or deserves
      having a too high opinion of oneself; arrogant, supercilious
      generating a sense of pride; being a cause for pride
      obsolete: brave, valiant; gallant
      standing out, swollen
      obsolete: excited by sexual desire; (of female animals) in heat
      happy, usually used with a sense of honour
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      Anagrams

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      Czech

      Pronunciation

      Noun

      proud m

      1. current
      2. (electricity) current
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      Last modified on 18 June 2013, at 16:42