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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Recent Examples of self-absorption
Beware the tendency to slip into self-absorption as a Dragon, however.
—
Kyle Lucia Wu, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Feb. 2026
Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas play sisters, raised in a sprawling yet cozy house that has been in the family for years; when their mother dies, they’re forced to reckon with the selfishness and self-absorption of their long estranged filmmaker father (Stellan Skarsgård).
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 3 Dec. 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
See All Example Sentences for self-absorption
Kyle Lucia Wu, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Feb. 2026
Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas play sisters, raised in a sprawling yet cozy house that has been in the family for years; when their mother dies, they’re forced to reckon with the selfishness and self-absorption of their long estranged filmmaker father (Stellan Skarsgård).
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 3 Dec. 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
See All Example Sentences for self-absorption
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-absorption
Noun
-
Claire’s elective death therefore remains a problematic choice for some viewers, an act of vainglorious selfishness from a woman who was never terribly nice to begin with.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
-
The adjectives used to describe vampire Lucy suggest monstrous selfishness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 May 2026
Noun
-
Quintrell is also a fan of color drenching—specifically, the trim and vanity.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
-
Bathrooms are large, with soaking tubs, walk-in showers, and double vanities, standard even in entry-level room categories.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Now layer in a New York fanbase whose narcissism is only matched by the novelty of its first finals since ‘99.—
Dan Shanoff,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
That escape also reveals the profound depths of his narcissism.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
For Fergie, joining the military didn’t just appeal to his ego and ambition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
In the finale, with Ben’s The Spider alter-ego on the verge of being exposed, Robbie steps in by donning the Spider suit on his behalf — allowing Morris, who grew up a massive Spider-Man fan, to fulfill a kind of childhood dream.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-absorption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-absorption. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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