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

2

: 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

3

: love of or sexual desire of one's own body

Synonyms of narcissism

• selfness
• selfishness
• vanity
• ego
• egocentrism
• egocentricity
• egomania
• self-absorption
• egoism

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

That escape also reveals the profound depths of his narcissism. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 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

Now layer in a New York fanbase whose narcissism is only matched by the novelty of its first finals since ‘99. — Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 3 June 2026

Grizz was one of the most thoughtful and emotionally intelligent figures in the 30 Rock cast, in stark contrast with the zany narcissism of most of its key players. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

narcissus + -ism; (sense 2) in part after German Narcismus (now Narzismus)

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for narcissism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• sophism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism

Kids Definition

narcissism

noun

nar·​cis·​sism ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm 

: excessive love and admiration for oneself and especially one's own appearance

narcissist

-sist 

noun

narcissistic

ˌnär-sə-ˈsis-tik 

adjective

Medical Definition

narcissism

noun

nar·​cis·​sism ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm 

1

: narcissistic personality disorder

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