as in selfness
excessive interest in oneself
a singer-songwriter whose compositions are too often exercises in self-important navel-gazing
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Recent Examples of navel-gazing
Beyond the lifeboat of major film festivals, which still assist a handful of buzzy international and independent films in their treacherous journey to release, such entities as the self-congratulatory, navel-gazing Oscars have seemingly abandoned the inclusion of riskier, daring films.
—
Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024
Ortberg urged staff to focus on beating its French planemaker competitor Airbus instead of navel-gazing at its own issues.
—Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
In the end, this leads to a novel that might be Murakami’s most navel-gazing work, and one that has the unmistakable feel of a coda.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
That deserves far more digital ink to be spilled than the usual navel-gazing about how iPhones are boring.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for navel-gazing
Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024
Ortberg urged staff to focus on beating its French planemaker competitor Airbus instead of navel-gazing at its own issues.
—Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
In the end, this leads to a novel that might be Murakami’s most navel-gazing work, and one that has the unmistakable feel of a coda.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
That deserves far more digital ink to be spilled than the usual navel-gazing about how iPhones are boring.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for navel-gazing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for navel-gazing
Noun
-
People wear masks to hide their selfishness, deceiving others in order to satisfy their own desires.—
Kenneth Andrew Andres Leonardo,
The Conversation,
6 Mar. 2026
-
At its core, narcissism is defined by a lack of empathy—not just occasional selfishness, but a consistent inability or unwillingness to step into someone else’s world.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Open the door to the Chamber, and you're faced with a sink, a vanity, two wardrobes, and two frosted-glass doors, behind which are a shower and a toilet.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But gone are the days when an effective routine also meant a cluttered bathroom vanity full of products—instead of needing multiple serums, sunscreens, and moisturizers to target different results, the latest products combine SPF and anti-aging effects all in one.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Throw in a good measure of nihilism, greed, and narcissism.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Traits like humility, creativity, and kindness are amplified by psychedelics, as are the dark triad traits, such as Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy.—
Erica Rex,
STAT,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The true implications of the blast marks on Russia's rocketry ego remained vague.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
4 Mar. 2026
-
In a way, their books are about male ego.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Beware the tendency to slip into self-absorption as a Dragon, however.—
Kyle Lucia Wu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The tensions among Robyn, Dara and Saoirse are especially well-drawn; the women call each other out for Robyn’s self-absorption, Dara’s cowardice and Saoirse’s unseemly appetite for excitement as only old friends can.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
However, visibility motivation is not limited to self-involvement.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Wettig noted in an August 2009 interview with NPR that though Thirtysomething's characters were often accused of being narcissistic by critics, their self-involvement was also reflective of the time.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Navel-gazing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navel-gazing. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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