narcissism
noun
nar·cis·sism
ˈnär-sə-ˌsi-zəm 
1
: egoism, egocentrism
… up until my late 30's I lived in a state of utterly monstrous narcissism and self-absorption …—
Frank Conroy
Frank Conroy2
: narcissistic personality disorder
One of the premier diagnoses of our times, narcissism is a reflection not only of an apparent trend in mental illness but also of the strains and distortions in the lives of essentially healthy people.—Robert Karen
Robert Karen3
: love of or sexual desire of one's own body
Examples of narcissism in a Sentence
in his narcissism, he just assumed that everyone else wanted to hear the tiny details of his day
Recent Examples on the Web
Brand narcissism was always a signal that something was off.
—Rebecca Brooks, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The theme is a conduit for a larger meditation, one that runs throughout the film, on the narcissism of male anger.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2026
Of course, there are many lovely actors who are curious and ask you questions about yourself and are normal, but a lot of them have been suffering from long-term main character energy and don’t have the magnetic personality to offset their narcissism.
—Ryan O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 4 May 2026
The narcissism charge was especially baffling.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for narcissism
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Rebecca Brooks, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The theme is a conduit for a larger meditation, one that runs throughout the film, on the narcissism of male anger.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2026
Of course, there are many lovely actors who are curious and ask you questions about yourself and are normal, but a lot of them have been suffering from long-term main character energy and don’t have the magnetic personality to offset their narcissism.
—Ryan O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 4 May 2026
The narcissism charge was especially baffling.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for narcissism
Cite this Entry
“Narcissism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissism. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
narcissism
noun
nar·cis·sism
ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm
: excessive love and admiration for oneself and especially one's own appearance
Medical Definition
narcissism
noun
nar·cis·sism
ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm
2
: love of or sexual desire for one's own body
3
: the state or stage of development in psychoanalytic theory in which there is considerable erotic interest in one's own body and ego and which in abnormal forms persists through fixation or reappears through regression
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