Synonyms of self-absorption

self-absorption

noun

ˌself-əb-ˈsȯrp-shən 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• selfness
• selfishness
• vanity
• narcissism
• ego
• self-centeredness
• pridefulness
• egocentricity
• egoism
• egocentrism
• self-involvement
• egotism
• self-preoccupation
• egomania
• navel-gazing
• self-interest
• self-concern
• smugness
• pride
• self-regard
• complacency
• vainness
• self-satisfaction
• self-admiration
• self-love
• conceitedness
• vainglory
• self-conceit
• self-importance
• pomposity
• self-sufficiency
• self-respect
• pompousness
• self-indulgence
• complacence
• conceit
• self-glorification
• vaingloriousness
• self-esteem
• self-contentment
• self-content
• self-assumption
• self-consequence
• self-partiality

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• selflessness
• generosity
• unselfishness
• altruism
• magnanimity
• detachment
• objectivity
• neutrality
• self-sacrifice
• fairness
• self-forgetfulness
• impartiality
• disinterestedness
• self-abandonment
• self-flagellation
• self-annihilation
• self-immolation

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of self-absorption

The depth of her ambition was hard to reach, as was her self-absorption. — Sara Wheeler, Big Think, 17 Apr. 2026

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

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