as in selfish
overly concerned with one's own desires, needs, or interests
a group of self-centered residents with no interest or involvement in their community
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Recent Examples of self-centered
Your son appears to be self-centered and emotionally distanced from you and the family.
—
Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
Your son appears to be self-centered and emotionally distanced from you and the family.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025
Though seemingly self-centered and superficial, Shug is ultimately the one to help Celie come out of her shell and realize her own self-worth.
—Diedre Johnson, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
Everyone, after all, interprets things differently; everyone is a little bit self-centered.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
The First Doctor, played by William Hartnell, is initially self-centered but evolves into a more compassionate character over time.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025
Our hero can be remarkably obnoxious and self-centered.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Jay is a little more self-centered.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Between the ages of 6 and 9, children begin shifting from being self-centered to noticing the emotions and perspectives of others.
—Ekaterina Muravevskaia, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
Your son appears to be self-centered and emotionally distanced from you and the family.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025
Though seemingly self-centered and superficial, Shug is ultimately the one to help Celie come out of her shell and realize her own self-worth.
—Diedre Johnson, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
Everyone, after all, interprets things differently; everyone is a little bit self-centered.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
The First Doctor, played by William Hartnell, is initially self-centered but evolves into a more compassionate character over time.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025
Our hero can be remarkably obnoxious and self-centered.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Jay is a little more self-centered.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Between the ages of 6 and 9, children begin shifting from being self-centered to noticing the emotions and perspectives of others.
—Ekaterina Muravevskaia, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-centered
selfish
Adjective
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While she and his working mom (Sarah Snook) are initially seen as culprits, the boy’s selfish father (Jake Lacy, who played similar roles in the dire Moriarty adaptation Apples Never Fall and The White Lotus) turns out to be the guiltiest party of all.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
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Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team.—
Tim Reynolds,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-centered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-centered. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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