self-seeking

adjective

Definition of self-seekingnext
1
as in ambitious
having a strong desire for personal advancement a self-seeking schemer who claimed others' ideas and achievements as his own

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in selfish
overly concerned with one's own desires, needs, or interests a self-seeking woman who could be counted on to sidetrack all conversation into a discussion of her problems

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-seeking
  1. ambitious
  2. selfish
  3. aspiring
Adjective
  • Owners generally do not want their locations disclosed, experienced builders work under strict nondisclosure agreements, and the industry is full of ambitious claims that are difficult to verify.
    — Megan Buerger, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • La Galerie Du 19M Shanghai Chanel’s Le19M creative hub has traveled to Shanghai for the first time with an ambitious exhibition that brings the brand’s unique production system to life via the work of Chinese artists, makers, and craftsmen.
    — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambitious
Adjective
  • Furthermore, the equalities that do exist often emerge from selfish motives.
    — Christopher von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The Trask boys are meant to represent a spectrum of good to bad, but as they’re encouraged to make individual choices, that also opens up the possibility of evil choices, selfish choices, destructive choices.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of selfish
Adjective
  • As a young, aspiring writer, Perry yearned for dramatic, painful experiences to give her something to write about.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In the show, aspiring singers get the chance to share the stage with some of the country’s biggest artists.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of aspiring
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.

Browse Nearby Words

self-seekers
self-seeking
self-serving
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-seeking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-seeking. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of galore

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All