narcissistic

adjective

nar·​cis·​sis·​tic ˌnär-sə-ˈsi-stik How to pronounce narcissistic (audio)
: 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
But 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
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
Our 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

Examples of narcissistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The abuse parents suffer at the hands of narcissistic children can be serious, including financial exploitation and smear campaigns. USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024 The original meta-comedy, The Larry Sanders Show details the narcissistic machinations of the eponymous character behind the scenes of his fake talk show. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 7 Nov. 2023 Not everyone who occasionally expresses narcissistic traits has narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Maressa Brown, Parents, 3 Oct. 2023 Black credits narcissistic, corrupt and delusional politicians and business leaders for providing him with a steady stream of material for his caustic wit. Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2024 With Trump’s renomination coming into focus, Biden holdouts are being pummeled with the accusation that their reluctance is a narcissistic exercise. Noah Rothman, National Review, 22 Jan. 2024 But Clueless is still really kind of sweet and cuddly, and our main character, who is a little narcissistic at the beginning, is still incredibly sweet. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 16 Jan. 2024 On top of that, her mom, Linda, is an absolute narcissistic monster, and brought explosive, often triggering moments of familial toxicity to the screen. Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024 Of course, the very idea of a narcissistic billionaire like Trump as the personification of the interests and values of an Iowa waitress or a New Hampshire plumber, or as a political figure willing to sacrifice himself for a larger cause—that is perhaps the biggest absurdity of all. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'narcissistic.' 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

narciss(ism) + -istic

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of narcissistic was in 1915

Dictionary Entries Near narcissistic

Cite this Entry

“Narcissistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissistic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

narcissistic

adjective
nar·​cis·​sis·​tic ˌnär-sə-ˈsis-tik How to pronounce narcissistic (audio)
: of, relating to, or characterized by narcissism or narcissistic personality disorder
narcissistically adverb

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