as in selfness
excessive interest in oneself
a singer-songwriter whose compositions are too often exercises in self-important navel-gazing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of navel-gazing
Beyond the lifeboat of major film festivals, which still assist a handful of buzzy international and independent films in their treacherous journey to release, such entities as the self-congratulatory, navel-gazing Oscars have seemingly abandoned the inclusion of riskier, daring films.
—
Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024
Ortberg urged staff to focus on beating its French planemaker competitor Airbus instead of navel-gazing at its own issues.
—Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
In the end, this leads to a novel that might be Murakami’s most navel-gazing work, and one that has the unmistakable feel of a coda.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
If the idea of a deep dive into the pop-culture Zeitgeist of Obama’s presidency feels like an exhausting amount of navel-gazing, well, nothing could be more true to the spirit of the time.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for navel-gazing
Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024
Ortberg urged staff to focus on beating its French planemaker competitor Airbus instead of navel-gazing at its own issues.
—Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
In the end, this leads to a novel that might be Murakami’s most navel-gazing work, and one that has the unmistakable feel of a coda.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
If the idea of a deep dive into the pop-culture Zeitgeist of Obama’s presidency feels like an exhausting amount of navel-gazing, well, nothing could be more true to the spirit of the time.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for navel-gazing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for navel-gazing
Noun
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Diamandis told me that our hardwired inclinations toward selfishness did trouble him sometimes, in the middle of the night.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
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McMullen explained selfishness manifests in hogging a machine and taking way too long to find a perfect shot.—
Alex Abad-Santos,
Vox,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Those looking for more novelty to tote around this fall might enjoy the vanity cases and tidy little boxes from Hermès and Victoria Beckham.—
Madeline Fass,
Vogue,
6 Aug. 2025
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Upstairs, the primary suite offers a tray ceiling, two walk-in closets, and a spa-like bathroom with a double vanity, a seamless glass shower, and a two-person Jacuzzi tub.—
Brendel Clark,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
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Validation, insecurity, ego, manipulation, narcissism, all these things that people told me, anger issues ...—
Dayna Haffenden,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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Frequently, it's paired with bad manners, meanness, and narcissism.—
Juli Fraga,
CNBC,
29 July 2025
Noun
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Self-serving bias is built-in to protect your ego unfairly.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Put that duck-slayer ego to the side and don’t be afraid to ask a few questions about conditions and hazards.—
Alex Robinson,
Outdoor Life,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Aaron Peck writes in the Times Literary Supplement, Published in 1869, Sentimental Education portrays the coming of age of its central character in the years before France’s Second Empire, an ironic hero whose self-absorption prevents him from any meaningful engagement in life.—
Diana Arterian
July 30,
Literary Hub,
30 July 2025
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When Your Greatest Strength Becomes Your Weakness Confidence is essential in leadership, but there's a fine line between self-assurance and self-absorption.—
Isabelita Castilho,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
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She’s played by an A-list celebrity — Cate Blanchett — operating in a city renowned for its self-involvement and privilege.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
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The conceit and self-involvement of Isabella’s brother John is also dispatched effectively, not with aphorism but with his own words.—
Adelle Waldman,
New Yorker,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Navel-gazing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navel-gazing. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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