narcissist

1 of 2

noun

nar·​cis·​sist ˈnär-sə-sist How to pronounce narcissist (audio)
plural narcissists
: an individual showing symptoms of or affected by narcissism: such as
a
: an extremely self-centered person who has an exaggerated sense of self-importance
… 48.7 per cent of the network share, tuned in … to watch Dame Edna, the supremo of narcissists, treat the celebrity guests on her TV talk show like audiovisual aids.John Lahr
Humblebragging makes you sound like a narcissist who is also being deceptive.Elise Craig
also : a person affected with narcissistic personality disorder
But unlike the garden-variety snob, narcissists have impaired relationships because they're unable to enter anyone else's world. Adelle Waldman
… since the narcissist is so convinced of his high station (most are men), he automatically expects that others will recognize his superior qualities and will tell him so. Charles Zanor
b
: a person who is overly concerned with his or her physical appearance
O.K., I'm like most baby boomers, a narcissist. In pursuit of the perfect body …Cathy Booth

narcissist

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characterized by narcissism : narcissistic
narcissist behavior
a narcissist personality

Examples of narcissist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
If Jack were just a smarmy narcissist driven by fame and success, that movie is boring to me. Jenelle Riley, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024 Everyone knows just enough pop psychology to classify friends and strangers: People are toxic or maybe narcissists, simple baskets in which to dump entire ranges of human behavior. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024 Is someone like Elena, a true narcissist, really capable of loving anyone more than herself? Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2024 Then, share your documentation with human resources, the narcissist’s boss and the board of directors. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Additionally, though Tom is a narcissist with limited people skills, Dickie and Marge aren’t much better. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024 Addis shared that he was diagnosed a narcissist and went to therapy for a couple of years to work on it. Journal Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2024 Abbott’s principal, Ava Coleman (Janelle James), is a wily narcissist who blackmailed her way into the job and keeps a ring light in her office for TikTok shoots. Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Many people may come to therapy when struggling with how to engage with a narcissist. Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Adjective
And Michael must put aside his grudge match against narcissist teammate Leo (Simu Liu), whose social media following is the key to getting corporate endorsement. Courtney Howard, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 Kelly's profile: Eastbound Strangler is ‘narcissist’ The Eastbound Strangler may not have a face, but Kelly worked up a personality profile based on the evidence. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2024 Kristin Cavallari cut her 'narcissist' dad out of her life. USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024 Perpetually aggrieved multi-millionaire narcissist frames scabbing as altruistic concern for the working man in order to satisfy insatiable need to express contempt for vulnerable transgender citizens and lob softballs to right wing wackos like Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2023 Dear Abby: My father is a narcissist and pathological liar who all his life has taken advantage of people. Abigail Van Buren, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023 My father is a narcissist and pathological liar who all his life has taken advantage of people. Abigail Van Buren, al, 12 Sep. 2023 But how does someone become a narcissist − and can anything be done to stop it? USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2023 Covert narcissist traits may come in numerous forms. Kelly Santana Banks, Discover Magazine, 1 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'narcissist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

narciss(ism) + -ist entry 1

Adjective

narciss(ism) + -ist entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

1917, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of narcissist was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near narcissist

Cite this Entry

“Narcissist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissist. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

narcissist

noun
nar·​cis·​sist -səst How to pronounce narcissist (audio)
: an individual showing symptoms of or affected by narcissism or narcissistic personality disorder

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