self-important

adjective

self-im·​por·​tant ˌself-im-ˈpȯr-tᵊnt How to pronounce self-important (audio)
-tənt
: having or showing self-importance
self-importantly adverb

Examples of self-important in a Sentence

a self-important businessman who believed his schedule mattered more than anyone else's
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It was being painted as an out-of-touch, arcane, and self-important social institution from a bygone era, and was doing very little to dispel that characterization. David Rosowsky, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025 This splendid, wry satire is about a wealthy family, self-important and confident in their morality, whose blithe and bumptious existences are thrown into disarray when their father clandestinely decides to give all their money to charity, and so (in their opinions) completely destroys their lives. Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2025 The adults in Moonrise Kingdom are either thoroughly unhappy, in the case of Suzy’s parents (played by Frances McDormand and Bill Murray), or rather delusional, like Sam’s self-important troop master (Edward Norton). Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025 Matt and his direct reports quickly reveal themselves to be spineless, self-important, thin-skinned, and out of touch. Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-important

Word History

First Known Use

1732, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-important was in 1732

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-important.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-important. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!