Definition of self-seekernext
as in opportunist
one who does things only for his own benefit and with little regard for right and wrong he's a self-seeker who is nice only to people who can do him favors

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of self-seeker Thus the self-seekers and the doctrinaires were drawn together into an alliance to maintain the status quo, and all its abuses and inequalities were made sacrosanct. Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-seeker
Noun
  • Thousands of players entered the portal this cycle and the sport’s biggest opportunists (and spenders) were active early.
    Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Sérgio Lisboa Machado, a co-author of the paper and a professor at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, said mosquitoes are opportunists who don't venture far to find food.
    Dr. Crystal Richards, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The former vice-president’s characterizations of peers such as Pete Buttigieg (talented but too gay for the America to accept as her running mate), and Josh Shapiro (an egoist) are not particularly juicy, but have already caused bad blood.
    Book Marks September 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
  • His characters come off as feisty egoists who enjoy sparring and comparing the size of their ambitions.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • The Warriors already might be too far ahead in the standings to catch bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers in the race to maximize their draft-lottery odds.
    Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Tomlin wasn’t taking a bottom-feeder job.
    Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The Chinese are crazy for shark fins.
    Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The underwater habitat is home to the state fish, the Garibaldi, along with angel sharks, bat rays and other marine life.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Self-seeker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-seeker. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.

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