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
The Cavs are not, to borrow a phrase from former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, navel-gazing.
—
Joe Vardon, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
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
The results of this year’s elections could result in a prolonged period of French and German navel-gazing.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 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
If the idea of a deep dive into the pop-culture Zeitgeist of Obama’s presidency feels like an exhausting amount of navel-gazing, well, nothing could be more true to the spirit of the time.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 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
As for the airport tray aesthetic, while people might be getting het up at the idea of Gen Z holding up the line for some navel-gazing, the US Transport Security Administration is sanguine about the risk.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 8 Sep. 2024
Joe Vardon, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
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
The results of this year’s elections could result in a prolonged period of French and German navel-gazing.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 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
If the idea of a deep dive into the pop-culture Zeitgeist of Obama’s presidency feels like an exhausting amount of navel-gazing, well, nothing could be more true to the spirit of the time.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 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
As for the airport tray aesthetic, while people might be getting het up at the idea of Gen Z holding up the line for some navel-gazing, the US Transport Security Administration is sanguine about the risk.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 8 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for navel-gazing
Noun
-
And a lot of them have the same thing, which is just like, there is a sort of narcissism a little bit, selfishness.—
H. Alan Scott,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Not in the same universe of selfishness and greediness 😂 N Niko K. · 8h 20m ago Ronaldo has five Ballon d‘Ors as well as five Champions League titles.—
Thom Harris,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Tiny Solar Homes The bathroom is nearby and contains a shower, vanity sink, and a flushing toilet.—
Adam Williams,
New Atlas,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The resurgence of popular beauty looks of decades past comes at no surprise to those who grew up watching their mothers and grandmothers do their hair or paint their nails at their bathroom vanity.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Interestingly, men in relationships with women high in grandiose narcissism reported lower satisfaction, as these women heightened their partners’ pressure to appear perfect.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
-
There’s a thin line between self-care and narcissism.—
Jo Hamya,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Managing egos is unavoidable, but having to manage someone’s ego right from the start is not a positive indicator of things to come.—
Abdo Riani,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
-
But how did egos not get in the way, especially after the seasons Prince and Conner had in 2023?—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the view of Georgie’s daughter, Suke Wolton, who teaches politics at Oxford, her late mother found Foster’s self-absorption a little hard to take.—
Ian Parker,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
-
But Headland’s play distinguishes itself from the others by investigating these confrontations alongside pride: How does this sin, defined by blinding self-absorption and lack of humility, distort the Dahls’ love?—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
But there’s no monopoly on self-involvement, in my experience.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2025
-
At the far opposite end of the adulthood spectrum is Jeff (Alex Wolff), a floppy mess of romantic misadventures and extravagant self-involvement and possibly the world’s most distracted producer.—
Sheri Linden,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Navel-gazing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navel-gazing. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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