as in selfness
excessive interest in oneself
the novel's major characters all suffer from self-absorption, and they are every bit as insufferable as such people are in real life
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-absorption
That blindness, that self-absorption, has become your legacy.
—
Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Maybe the symptoms of his cognitive decline are inextricable from what seemed to you to be his general self-absorption and thoughtlessness.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Frost’s well is a modern version of Narcissus’ pool, and his poem is a meditation on self-absorption and its limits.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
The romantic storyline represents uncharted territory for a character known more for self-absorption than self-reflection.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-absorption
Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Maybe the symptoms of his cognitive decline are inextricable from what seemed to you to be his general self-absorption and thoughtlessness.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Frost’s well is a modern version of Narcissus’ pool, and his poem is a meditation on self-absorption and its limits.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
The romantic storyline represents uncharted territory for a character known more for self-absorption than self-reflection.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-absorption
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-absorption
Noun
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The selfish tyrant attaches himself only to those others who share his selfishness, who are eager to wear the mask of perpetual lying.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
If not for Camilla, who’d gone out of her way to take Regina in, even letting her share the bedroom with her and Lalla, the others wouldn’t have welcomed her—not out of spite, no, because none of them were spiteful after all, but out of indifference, selfishness, plain and simple.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Clear bins on a bathroom vanity are ideal for daily-use items, which Wells suggests storing in the front, and extra or backup toiletries in the back.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The old icebox turned vanity is a gift from a friend.—
Wendy Goodman,
Curbed,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The narcissism is built into the very structure of the question.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
My problem with gambling started years later, deeply rooted in ego and narcissism.—
Craig Carton,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Trump’s ego can take only so much criticism.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Time draws these kids osmotically through a membrane, turning them into things like us, adults captured by the brittle carapaces of our egos.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-absorption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-absorption. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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