In the following sentences, the underlined words share the same denotation, or general literal meaning: “thinking well of oneself.” Which underlined word has the most strongly negative connotation? Base your answer on context as well as on your knowledge of the word.
A. Keisha seemed very self-assured at the beginning of her speech but began to stumble after an attack of nerves.
B. Reggie is not the most confident person, so we were reluctant to tell him that he had not qualified for the team.
C. Jon is too proud to accept help from other people and thinks that he should be able to manage by himself.
D. Some say that Sven is conceited, but I enjoy listening to his stories about his heroic victories in football and tennis.