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
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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
Adjective
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The agency has even more ambitious plans in the years ahead — including putting boots down on the moon just a couple of years from now.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
11 Apr. 2026 -
The actress puts her Broadway chops to good use as the ambitious perfectionist (and Barbra Streisand obsessive) Rachel Berry on Glee, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Ordinary humans like Stephen’s selfish boss are depicted as giant walking eggs, while others are proportioned like bobble heads.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
11 Apr. 2026
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Terms like gaman—spelled with the kanji 我 (ego, I, selfish, our, oneself) and 慢 (ridicule, laziness)—are proof of this, as are the kigo terms that describe the emotions of the changing seasons, like kachōfūgetsu—composed of the kanji 花 (flower), 鳥 (bird), 風 (wind), and月(moon).—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Slate is a refreshing outlier among the aspiring new electric vehicle OEMs.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
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What followed was a grind that most aspiring pop stars don’t talk about openly.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
13 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Self-seeking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-seeking. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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