self-absorbed

adjective

self-ab·​sorbed ˌself-əb-ˈsȯrbd How to pronounce self-absorbed (audio)
-ˈzȯrbd
: absorbed in one's own thoughts, activities, or interests

Examples of self-absorbed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In short order and in this bucolic setting, Leon proves to be an irritable jerk: self-absorbed, painfully insecure, perpetually annoyed, snobbish, and at times reflexively cruel. Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 14 July 2023 However, these terms are often used with a note of derision, applied to someone who is self-absorbed. Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 2 June 2023 My sibling is loving, kind and generous — as well as self-absorbed. Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 10 May 2023 Those today with the best levels of executive presence are not self-absorbed. Adrian Gostick, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023 Double-dealing, self-absorbed and relentlessly ambitious, the most prominent of them were usually appalling. Catherine Ostler, WSJ, 24 Mar. 2023 People throw around the term loosely to describe those who are self-absorbed, entitled and manipulative – from overbearing parents to destructive exes. Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2023 If someone calls you self-absorbed, consider whether that person has a point or is projecting their own insecurities. David Oliver, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2023 Howie’s mental meanderings are maniacally self-absorbed in a way Castro’s narrator worries is true of his own roiling, recursive thoughts. Nathan Goldman, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-absorbed was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near self-absorbed

Cite this Entry

“Self-absorbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-absorbed. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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