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 of selfish

• 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
• self-loving

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

Saying no and being selfish was a really hard lesson for me. —Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 22 Apr. 2026

Giaever who, after being called selfish by her dad, decides to offer free help to anyone who wants it. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026

Daring to dream of anything more felt selfish and indulgent, so a four-day solo wellness retreat in another country seemed downright irresponsible. —Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026

While holding everyone captive, Park says that humanity is ultimately selfish and that greed is the way to get ahead in the world. —Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026

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