overly aware of yourself and how others perceive you
I felt incredibly s____-c________ walking into the room late.
He gets s____-c________ when speaking in front of fluent speakers.
self-conscious
extremely embarrassing in a lasting, painful way
Forgetting her name was u_______ m_________.
That voice crack during the presentation was u_______ m_________.
utterly mortifying
felt very deeply and instinctively, rather than logically
I had a v_______ reaction to the comment before I could think.
Her speech triggered a v_______ sense of anger in the audience.
visceral
very conscious of something in an uncomfortable way
I was p________ a____ of my accent in that meeting.
She’s p________ a____ of how little time she has left.
painfully aware
to accept or embrace something instead of resisting it
She decided to l____ i____ the awkward moment and joke about it.
Rather than hide it, he l____ i____ his unique style.
lean into
causing a strong emotional reaction (usually negative, such as anxiety, shame, or stress)
Waiting for the results was genuinely anxiety-.
That public correction was deeply shame-________.
inducing
to restrain yourself emotionally or verbally
I had to h____ b____ from reacting immediately.
She couldn’t h____ b____ her tears any longer.
hold back
to disturb, unsettle, or embarrass someone
Criticism doesn’t usually f____ him.
I tried to stay calm and not let it f____ me.
faze
not affected or bothered by something
She seemed completely u________ by the awkward silence.
He remained u________ despite the tough questions.
unfazed
to treat something embarrassing or negative as unimportant
She l____ed it o____ and changed the subject.
He tried to l____ o____ the mistake, but it still stung.
laugh off
to make fun of someone in a hurtful or mocking way
He was r________d for speaking up in the meeting.
She feared being r________d for asking a basic question.
ridicule
at a more honest or emotional level
D____ d____, she knew she’d made the right choice.
He acts confident, but d____ d____ he doubts himself.
deep down
to resist or challenge something
Employees began to p____ b____ a________ the new policy.
She p____ed b____ a________ unrealistic expectations.
push back against
to be overly critical of yourself
Don’t b____ yourself u__ over one mistake.
He kept b____ing himself u__ about what he’d said.
beat yourself up
to bring bad luck by talking about success too soon
Don’t say it out loud — you’ll j____ it!
I think I j____ed the trip by mentioning how smooth it was.
jinx
something socially unacceptable or strongly discouraged
Interrupting like that is a big n__-n__.
Talking about salary is still a n__-n__ in some cultures.
a no-no
too focused on yourself and your own concerns
He came across as s____-a________ during the conversation.
She worried that sharing her success would seem s____-a________.
self-absorbed
to make something seem less serious or important
He d_______ the issue to avoid conflict.
She tends to d_______ her achievements.
downplay
to reduce the importance, value, or impact of something
Don’t d________ how hard you worked for this.
Her comment d________ his contribution to the project.
diminish
to brag about yourself or your accomplishments
He’s not one to t____ his o____ h____, but he deserved credit.
Sometimes you need to t____ your o____ h____ to get noticed.
toot my own horn
to make someone or something seem less important
She felt b________d by his dismissive tone.
Joking like that can b________ people without meaning to.
belittle
to make someone feel isolated or excluded
His comments a________d part of the audience.
She worried that bragging might a________ her colleagues.
alienate
to present something in a way that highlights its value
The portfolio s________s her achievements clearly.
This project s________s what the team can really do.
showcase
to emphasize or exaggerate something
He p____ed u__ his role in the success.
She p____ed u__ the positive feedback in her review.
play up
