Introverted definition dictionary
Introvert Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
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[ noun, adjective in-truh-vurt; verb in-truh-vurt ]
/ noun, adjective ˈɪn trəˌvɜrt; verb ˌɪn trəˈvɜrt /
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See synonyms for: introvert / introverting on Thesaurus.com
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
a person who prefers calm environments, limits social engagement, or embraces a greater than average preference for solitude.
Psychology. a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings. Compare extrovert (def. 2).
Zoology. a part that is or can be introverted.
adjective Also in·tro·vert·ed .
having a disposition that is taxed by social engagement and energized by calm environments, resulting in the preference for quiet solitude.
Psychology. marked by introversion.
verb (used with object)
to turn inward: to introvert one's anger.
Psychology. to direct (the mind, one's interest, etc.) partly to things within the self.
Anatomy, Zoology. to turn (a hollow, cylindrical structure) in on itself; invaginate.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of introvert
First recorded in 1660–70; intro- + (in)vert
synonym study for introvert
Many people mistake shy and introverted as synonyms.
The observable behaviors of introverts and shy people are similar; both personalities are characterized by a quiet demeanor and subdued social engagement. However, shyness is associated with timidity and social anxiety. In contrast, introversion is characterized by a lack of interest in interpersonal engagement and a limited endurance for social drama.
The distinct motivations of introverted or shy people to act in a retiring manner are as defining as the observable contrast between introverts and extroverts.
OTHER WORDS FROM introvert
non·in·tro·vert·ed, adjectivenon·in·tro·vert·ed·ly, adverbnon·in·tro·vert·ed·ness, nounun·in·tro·vert·ed, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH introvert
extrovert, introvertWords nearby introvert
introspection, introspective, introsusception, in trouble with, introversion, introvert, intrude, intruder, Intruder in the Dust, intrusion, intrusive
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc.
2022
MORE ABOUT INTROVERT
What does
introvert mean?Where does
introvert come from?The word introvert precedes online personality quizzes by about 400 years. The first records of the word introvert come from the 1600s, when it was used as a verb meaning “to turn one’s thoughts inward.” It wasn’t until the 1900s that it began to be popularly used in the context of psychology as a noun referring to a person with a certain personality type. Introvert is formed from the prefix intro–, meaning “inwardly” or “within,” and the root vert, meaning “to turn” (as in invert).
The concept of introversion and introverts (and other personality types) was popularized by psychologist Carl Jung in the early 1900s. According to Jung, introverts are people who tend to be preoccupied with their own thoughts and feelings and minimize their contact with other people.
Today, we often think of introverts as reflective, reserved, interested in abstract ideas, sensitive, and tending to thrive in familiar environments. In contrast, extroverts are thought to be outgoing and to thrive in social situations. Most theories about personality types agree that a person usually has some elements of introversion and some elements of extroversion. However, many of these theories state that one of those tends to be stronger.
Did you know ... ?
How is
introvert used in real life?Introvert is often used in the context of personality tests that claim to be able to tell you what kind of personality type you are. People often label themselves as either an introvert or extrovert, but a lot of research indicates that many people are a mixture of both.
Life as an introvert:
– I love people
– People scare me
– Please invite me to your party
– I hate parties— Il Caffè Nero (@_King_Wise) March 9, 2020
I'm not an introvert, but I don't like being around people for an extended period of time, nothing personal… I just enjoy my own company.
— Michael (@ItsHimMichael) February 26, 2015
I think more of y’all would realize your full potential if you collaborated with other creatives. Most creatives I meet are introverts (like me) and just don’t like being around ppl so u force yourself into doing everything on your own. Nobody can do everything.
— KATO ON THE TRACK (@KatoProducer) March 15, 2020
Try using
introvert!Which of the following words would probably NOT be used to describe people who call themselves introverts?
A. outgoing
B. reflective
C. solitary
D. shy
Words related to introvert
observer, brooder, homebody, solitary, wallflower, loner, thinker
How to use introvert in a sentence
Whether you’re a fabulous cook who loves to entertain, or, like me, an introvert who relishes a dinner of popcorn and ice cream, you’ve been influenced by Beard.
James Beard biography a luscious feast|Kathi Wolfe|October 22, 2020|Washington Blade
Furthermore, in the same way that few people are fully 100 percent extravert or fully 100 percent introvert, few of us are 100 percent egalitarian in our posture toward the world or 100 percent bigoted.
Believing in Monsters: David Livingstone Smith on the Subhuman - Facts So Romantic|Eric Schwitzgebel|September 11, 2020|Nautilus
This makes as little sense as being simultaneously an extreme extravert and an extreme introvert.
Believing in Monsters: David Livingstone Smith on the Subhuman - Facts So Romantic|Eric Schwitzgebel|September 11, 2020|Nautilus
Gowtham V, a 13-year-old at Puvidham, is an introvert, his mother tells me.
Schools Teach Kids How to Survive the Future’s Harsh Climates|Charu Kasturi|August 7, 2020|Ozy
Yes, introverts and extroverts do differ in important ways, but in fact they often grade imperceptibly into each other.
5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Ep. 334 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|January 9, 2020|Freakonomics
Now 47-year-old Marina Berlusconi appears to be moving into politics—that is, if the camera-shy introvert really wants the job.
Could Silvio Berlusconi’s Daughter Take Over Italy, Too?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|May 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A natural introvert, she has been utterly content with her relative anonymity.
Vogue Creative Director Grace Coddington’s Memoir Offers Few Revelations|Robin Givhan|November 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The acrembolic proboscis or frontal introvert of the Nemertine worms has a complete range.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5|Various
What is your impression of him as his being introspective or an introvert or an extrovert?
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
Further, it is not the sign of an introvert to blow off on little things to your wife, as he did.
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
The markers introvert their marks and fall into desuetude—and the mummery is duly inaugurated.
The Army Mule and Other War Sketches|Henry A. Castle
The Major Maintainer hadn't merely been switched to Introvert.
The Big Time|Fritz Reuter Leiber
British Dictionary definitions for introvert
introvert
noun (ˈɪntrəˌvɜːt)
psychol a person prone to introversion
adjective (ˈɪntrəˌvɜːt)
Also: introverted characterized by introversion
verb (ˌɪntrəˈvɜːt)
(tr) pathol to turn (a hollow organ or part) inside out
Compare extrovert
Word Origin for introvert
C17: see intro-, invert
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for introvert
introvert
[ (in-truh-vurt) ]
A term introduced by the psychologist Carl Jung to describe a person whose motives and actions are directed inward.
Introverts tend to be preoccupied with their own thoughts and feelings and minimize their contact with other people. (Compare extrovert.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Introvert Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
- Top Definitions
- Quiz
- Related Content
- Examples
- British
- Cultural
[ noun, adjective in-truh-vurt; verb in-truh-vurt ]
/ noun, adjective ˈɪn trəˌvɜrt; verb ˌɪn trəˈvɜrt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: introvert / introverting on Thesaurus.com
noun
a person who prefers calm environments, limits social engagement, or embraces a greater than average preference for solitude.
Psychology. a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings.Compare extrovert (def. 2).
Zoology. a part that is or can be introverted.
adjective Also in·tro·vert·ed .
having a disposition that is taxed by social engagement and energized by calm environments, resulting in the preference for quiet solitude.
Psychology. marked by introversion.
verb (used with object)
to turn inward: to introvert one's anger.
Psychology. to direct (the mind, one's interest, etc.) partly to things within the self.
Anatomy, Zoology. to turn (a hollow, cylindrical structure) in on itself; invaginate.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of introvert
First recorded in 1660–70; intro- + (in)vert
synonym study for introvert
Many people mistake shy and introverted as synonyms.
The observable behaviors of introverts and shy people are similar; both personalities are characterized by a quiet demeanor and subdued social engagement. However, shyness is associated with timidity and social anxiety. In contrast, introversion is characterized by a lack of interest in interpersonal engagement and a limited endurance for social drama.
The distinct motivations of introverted or shy people to act in a retiring manner are as defining as the observable contrast between introverts and extroverts.
OTHER WORDS FROM introvert
non·in·tro·vert·ed, adjectivenon·in·tro·vert·ed·ly, adverbnon·in·tro·vert·ed·ness, nounun·in·tro·vert·ed, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH introvert
extrovert, introvertDictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
Words related to introvert
observer, brooder, homebody, solitary, wallflower, loner, thinker
How to use introvert in a sentence
She also labels me an introvert, and while this is probably true, I also thoroughly enjoy a thoughtful conversation, one where people offer interesting ideas and listen as often as they talk.
Carolyn Hax: Well, I . . . It’s just that . . . I’d like to be . . . heard without interruption|Carolyn Hax|January 6, 2021|Washington Post
On the bright side, being cut off from the outside world was a great first job for an introvert.
How a Nuclear Submarine Officer Learned to Live in Tight Quarters - Issue 94: Evolving|Steve Weiner|December 30, 2020|Nautilus
Even extreme introverts spend their lives forging and learning from social bonds.
How Does Social Interaction Change Our Brains? Hyperscans Can Show Us|Shelly Fan|December 8, 2020|Singularity Hub
If you’re an introvert, you can manage well, though a lot of things, like meals, take place in a large-group setting.
What You Can Learn from Living in Antarctica - Issue 92: Frontiers|Marissa Grunes|November 11, 2020|Nautilus
So if you’re an introvert you may feel awash in a sea of faces.
What You Can Learn from Living in Antarctica - Issue 92: Frontiers|Marissa Grunes|November 11, 2020|Nautilus
I felt my mind flinch, because Introverting a Place is several degrees worse than foxholing.
The Big Time|Fritz Reuter Leiber
British Dictionary definitions for introvert
introvert
noun (ˈɪntrəˌvɜːt)
psychol a person prone to introversion
adjective (ˈɪntrəˌvɜːt)
Also: introverted characterized by introversion
verb (ˌɪntrəˈvɜːt)
(tr) pathol to turn (a hollow organ or part) inside out
Compare extrovert
Word Origin for introvert
C17: see intro-, invert
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for introvert
introvert
[ (in-truh-vurt) ]
A term introduced by the psychologist Carl Jung to describe a person whose motives and actions are directed inward. Introverts tend to be preoccupied with their own thoughts and feelings and minimize their contact with other people. (Compare extrovert.
)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Introversion. What is "Introversion"? The concept and definition of the term "Introversion" - Glossary
Glossary. Psychological dictionary.
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Introversion - a complex of personality traits, which is characterized by a tendency to avoid social contacts. The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung introduced the concepts of introversion and extraversion, which later formed the basis of almost all complex psychological typologies and personality tests.
Studying the categories of introversion and extraversion, Jung distinguished, first of all, the direction of movement of libido (vital energy): the introvert is focused on mental activity within himself, while the extravert is focused on external objects. Thus, an introvert accumulates energy within himself (one of the manifestations of the collective unconscious), and an extrovert wastes it on contacts with the outside world.
The British psychologist Hans Eysenck borrowed the terms introduced by Jung, adding a number of his own characteristics. Initially, he considered these personality types from the point of view of the processes of excitation and inhibition, but then he concentrated on internal qualities. So, according to Eysenck's theory, it is difficult for an extrovert to cope with his emotions, however, as a rule, he is optimistic.
Aloof from everyone, the introvert is used to controlling his feelings, always plans his actions in advance and adheres to everything in order.
Another popular interpretation of the concepts introversion and extraversion belongs to the German psychiatrist Karl Leonhard, who divides them according to volitional qualities: extroverts are weak-willed and subject to other people's influence, while introverts are unshakable in their decisions.
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Introverts: Live at Your Own Rhythm Many of us feel uncomfortable trying to live up to these attitudes. How to maintain harmony with yourself for those for whom modern life is too strong an irritant?
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introvert, extrovert or ambivert?
At university I was friends with two sociable girls.
They didn't look alike, but they had something in common. As it seemed to me then, they were united by pronounced extraversion. As soon as they quietly stood at the wall in anticipation of a couple, a booming company immediately gathered around. In the first year, when no one else really knew anyone, their names were remembered first. Gather those wishing to speak at the bottom of the faculty or go to a strip club? Of course they are! How surprised I was when both girls recently independently announced, "I think I'm an introvert." If they consider themselves introverts, then who is everyone else?
ARE HORMONES TO BE THAT TOGETHER?
At the everyday level, there is complete confusion in understanding the terms "extrovert" and "introvert". We used to associate the first with sociability, and the second with a craving for solitude, as if that explains everything. While the issue is so controversial that there is no consensus even among psychologists. The first scale of extra- and introversion in the dictionary of psychological terms was introduced by Carl Gustav Jung.
According to Jung, an extrovert is introduced into the outside world by all means, without giving in to the experience of reflection, and an introvert defends himself from the outside, relying only on his inner feelings. An extrovert pays attention to events, accumulates facts and acquaintances, chooses a profession that is guaranteed to bring him income in the near future. An introvert is focused on his reactions to the outside world. Facts are interesting to introverts not in themselves, but as a basis for the formation of judgments, therefore, outstanding inventors, scientists, and writers are obtained from introverts. If you ask an extrovert what the weather is today, he will actually answer: “Snowy, minus five.” An introvert will answer the same question subjectively: "I'm cold." According to Jung, it is the focus on the external or internal world that distinguishes an extrovert from an introvert. Note that this has nothing to do with sociability or a desire for solitude.
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Despite the fact that each person is predisposed to a particular personality type from childhood, Jung does not consider extra- and introversion to be an innate or physiologically determined quality. Rather, a reaction to upbringing and the general cultural background. Psychologist Hans Jurgen Eysenck undertook to connect the scale of extra- and introversion with physiology. Studying the behavior of a group of soldiers - healthy and recognized as neurotic - he somewhat modified the terms proposed by Jung. According to Eysenck, introverts are naturally very sensitive to external stimuli and therefore avoid situations that require a strong emotional response (for example, noisy communication). Extroverts, on the other hand, are not excitable enough, so they deliberately look for situations that can “recharge” them. Modern research develops Eysenck's idea, believing that the craving for communication or solitude is associated with the production of the pleasure hormone - dopamine.
Introverts initially have more dopamine than extroverts. Therefore, they do not seek to "get" from the outside, while this is vital for extroverts.
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RIGHT IN THE CENTER
Playing "guess who is who at this party" is my friend Oleg's favorite pastime. He begins to closely observe newcomers to the company in order to make an authoritative verdict on their personality type in ten minutes. At the same time, Oleg stubbornly refuses to take into account the fact that most mentally healthy people are ambiverts.
The term "ambivert" was first proposed by Eysenck in 1947, referring to people who combine the hypersensitivity of introverts and the expansive sociability of extroverts. Twenty years earlier, in one of his lectures on extroverts and introverts, Jung noted: “There is, finally, a third group where it is very difficult to say where motivation comes from: from outside or from inside.
This group is the most numerous. The psychologist emphasized that our conscious extraverted or introverted attitudes are always compensated by opposite unconscious ones. Therefore, the behavior of a shy person easily changes when he drinks. The conscious introverted attitude recedes and extraversion appears. As long as they work together, the person is balanced and harmonious. When they collide, neurosis begins. If we think of intro- and extraversion as a horizontal scale, most of us will be in its middle (ambivert) values. We can shift in one direction or another in extreme situations, but in ordinary life we are close to the center and react to the world alternately - either as introverts or as extroverts.
INTROVERT TIME
So, thanks to the fathers of psychology for the great news: most of us are capable of anything! Listen carefully and speak contagiously, enjoy noisy companies and solitude, be interested in the facts of the outside world and pass them through yourself, creating something new.
But the question remains: why then did so many of my sociable acquaintances abruptly begin to call themselves introverts? I found three explanations for this phenomenon. First, introversion is in vogue today. Some hundred years ago, extraversive thinking was considered fashionable and “correct” in European culture. This is not surprising - at the beginning of the last century, an encyclopedic mind was highly valued, capable of memorizing a large number of facts without giving in to their personal assessment. The same Jung, describing the features of an introvert, seems to justify him in front of an invisible extrovert - a typical representative of his generation.
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Today the pendulum has swung the other way. The role of the encyclopedic mind is played by Google, and the ability to convey one's unusual view of the world is valued much higher than a banal statement of facts.
Rock stars of our time are "introverted" IT specialists and scientists. While extroverted sociability has become synonymous with the obsession inherent in market traders.
Second, calling yourself an introvert is a great defense strategy. Diktat of positive, self-improvement and improved instagram-reality spoils even the strongest nerves. In the world of magical stories about how someone just believed in a dream and everything worked out, it’s as if you have an obligation to be a purposeful, hyper-sociable nya who is always doing well. Not the worst way to hide from this is to hang an invisible sign over your head “Beware of the introvert!”. An unpleasant employee wants to personally discuss some insignificant issues? Sorry, I'm an introvert, it's better to send by mail. The boss forces you to attend an absolutely useless event? Oh, I would love to, but what's the point if I'm an introvert ... People who don't want to offend are invited to give a lecture in a coworking space on the other side of town? I would love to, but in this weather, my attacks of introversion become terribly aggravated .
.. Pretending to be an introvert in unpleasant situations is like folding your hands over your head and shouting: “Chick-chirp, I'm in the house!” The main thing is not to play.
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And the third thing: introversion sells. Demand creates supply. The fashion for a “shy” personality type is quickly picked up by savvy authors of coaching literature, promising a magic pill of success to everyone who buys their book, lecture, video lesson. "Identify your weaknesses and turn them into advantages!" - say the slogans of books in the spirit of "An introvert is also a leader." There are hardly any references to specific studies, and in order to simply diagnose introversion in yourself, it is enough, for example, to feel the desire to be alone at the end of the working day. Jennifer Kanweiler, author of The Introvert Leader.
How to succeed in a society dominated by extroverts,” writes: “It seems that extroverts get everything, and your needs are simply ignored? You do not have the energy for "business communication"? Nobody listens to you in meetings? If the answer is “yes”, then you are most likely an introvert, and you are by no means alone in this world. Among the most authoritative leaders are many introverts: Bill Gates, Warren Buffett. Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln also fell under suspicion. Apparently an introvert and President Obama." How can you not want to join Mother Teresa and Barack Obama? Moreover, at the same time, all sins are forgiven, suspiciously similar to official duties.
FROM SIDE TO SIDE
In fact, the desire to sit in silence and solitude after a busy day is not a typical behavior of an introvert, but an ambivert. He is like a skier who balances on the slope, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. The trick is to be able to switch at will.
Due to the fact that ambiverts do not know how to “transfer weight” from the extraverted side in time, they get carried away and they seriously begin to consider themselves one hundred percent introverts. Something similar happened to my college girlfriends, who got so tired of the role of throwing parties that they wanted to hide in a recreational shell. The key to the trick is to study your reactions. Over time, you will learn to catch alarm bells even before they turn into a siren. Is the party no longer fun? The last glass - and home! Without guilt and embarrassment for their lack of communication skills. Without letting the energy evaporate, the next day you will be able to communicate with more people with pleasure again. The rule also works the other way: are you already watching the sixth episode of Friends in a day without sticking your nose out from under the covers? Turn around. Your sociable friends will certainly be delighted with an invitation for coffee or a glass of wine.
