narcissistic
adjective
nar·cis·sis·tic
ˌnär-sə-ˈsi-stik 
: of, relating to, or characterized by narcissism: such as
a
: extremely self-centered with an exaggerated sense of self-importance : marked by or characteristic of excessive admiration of or infatuation with oneself
a narcissistic personality
He was a very narcissistic man, not too concerned with the world.—
Oliver Sacks
Oliver SacksBut when a mother's narcissistic needs are so great that she cannot relate to her child as he really is, she loves her child as a self-object—that is, as someone put on this earth to meet her needs.—Sue Erikson Bloland
see also narcissistic personality disorder
Sue Erikson Bloland
b
: displaying or marked by excessive concern with one's own physical appearance
… she describes the bind created for women by the judgment that a woman preoccupied with her looks is narcissistic and a woman who is not is unfeminine.—Carol Gilligan
Carol GilliganOur narcissistic culture has turned us into a nation of body-image "junkies" using everything in our power to carve, reshape, remold, and recast our bodies' natural shapes and processes so that they are better fitted to our desires.—Andrew Kimbrell
Andrew KimbrellExamples of narcissistic in a Sentence
trying to raise the social consciousness of the normally narcissistic Hollywood community
Recent Examples on the Web
Hüller was overwhelmed by the praise at the Palais, her trademark stoicism breaking as the crowd saluted her moments of emotional abandon — including a tearjerker of a long-distance phone call and an explosion of rage at her narcissistic patriarch.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 14 May 2026
Lest anyone think Perseverance is too narcissistic, the rover also employed its Mastcam-Z to also photograph Lac de Charmes’ Arbot area a few days later.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 May 2026
With the Jax-sized hole in the cast, the narcissistic tendencies in the other men become more glaring, showing how covert mistreatment can slowly chip away at a relationship.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Fascism became fashionable for a time, even if it was rooted in self-grandiosity, narcissistic grievance, and sadistic vengeance.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
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Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 14 May 2026
Lest anyone think Perseverance is too narcissistic, the rover also employed its Mastcam-Z to also photograph Lac de Charmes’ Arbot area a few days later.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 May 2026
With the Jax-sized hole in the cast, the narcissistic tendencies in the other men become more glaring, showing how covert mistreatment can slowly chip away at a relationship.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Fascism became fashionable for a time, even if it was rooted in self-grandiosity, narcissistic grievance, and sadistic vengeance.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for narcissistic
Cite this Entry
“Narcissistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissistic. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
narcissistic
adjective
nar·cis·sis·tic
ˌnär-sə-ˈsis-tik
: of, relating to, or characterized by narcissism or narcissistic personality disorder
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