nervous or embarrassed about your appearance or what other people think of you
Example:
- He's always been self-conscious about being so short.
- She was a shy, self-conscious girl.
Extra examples:
- He studied her in a way that made her very self-conscious.
- Taken aback by her frankness, he gave a little self-conscious laugh.
done in a way that shows you are aware of the effect that is being produced
Example:
- The humour of the play is self-conscious and contrived.