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
But self-awareness doesn’t obviate self-absorption.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Jan. 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
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Jan. 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
-
While their energies differ, nearly all of them share the same basic drives (money, power, status) and the same fundamental flaws (greed, arrogance, selfishness).—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
-
To take time out of one’s days or nights or weekends, to excuse oneself from family time, or time with friends, in order to write and think about one’s life, is an act of selfishness that is needed more now than ever.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The marble bathrooms offer plenty of room to stretch out, with double vanities, deep bathtubs, power showers, and thick terry cloth robes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Good said more companies are seeking fitness options in their buildings in the wake of the pandemic, and the development would have ample exercise equipment, upscale lockers, shower rooms, vanities and saunas.—
Madison Iszler,
San Antonio Express-News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cher, our stand-in for Emma Woodhouse, is the it-girl at the center of it all, confident and unflappable in her place in the hierarchy—but with a hint of narcissism that gives her a preening over-confidence in her capabilities.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
-
This is all so that Coach can feed his own narcissism even while being annoying, wrong, smarmy, and somehow totally in control.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If pride bristles, breathe and frame feedback as an invitation to make the work shine brighter than any ego.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Through her precise storytelling, Hao offers a clarifying perspective amid the AI mania and lays bare the ravenous, profit-seeking egos driving it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-absorption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-absorption. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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