selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

1

: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others

2

: arising from concern with one's own welfare or advantage in disregard of others

a selfish act

3

: being an actively replicating repetitive sequence of nucleic acid that serves no known function

selfish DNA

also : being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication

selfish genes

Synonyms

• egotistical
• egoistical
• egocentric
• narcissistic
• self-centered
• self-absorbed
• egoistic
• self-interested
• egotistic
• egomaniacal
• solipsistic
• self-involved
• self-concerned
• self-serving
• self-obsessed
• self-oriented
• self-regarding
• self-preoccupied
• self-seeking

Examples of selfish in a Sentence

She's interested only in her own selfish concerns.

I wish he'd spend less time with his friends and more time with me. Am I being selfish?

Recent Examples on the Web

Iran is not a backward place, even if its current government is backward-looking and selfish. —Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 24 June 2025

There’s nobody selfish, one through nine, and the bench players, too. —Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 21 June 2025

Even neutral or well-meaning gestures are perceived as selfish, passive-aggressive or hostile. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

Many zombie movies focus on the horrible things that selfish people do in times of trouble, and Train to Busan has plenty of that in the form of the rich elites who care only about their own safety at the expense of others. —James Grebey, Time, 20 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for selfish

• unselfish

Kids Definition

selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

: taking care of oneself without thought for others

selfishly adverb

selfishness noun

Medical Definition

selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

: being an actively replicating repetitive sequence of nucleic acid that serves no known function

selfish DNA

also : being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication

selfish genes