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
-
The goal was simple, but ambitious.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026 -
As medal designs have grown more ambitious, the physical demands have grown with them.—
Eric Sullivan,
Scientific American,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
People forget that being an athlete is selfish.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The first, the sewing machine, was created by a selfish and ambitious inventor who wanted all the credit and was willing to fight a war for it.—
Luis Gallo,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Trial of Seven is about to commence — a clash of mud, blood, and iron before a roaring crowd to determine the fate of the aspiring knight that dared to defend a lowly stage performer from a rampaging Targaryen prince.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
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Play Now Duvall, born in San Diego in 1931, spent much of the 1960s as other aspiring actors of his generation did, in small roles on television.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
16 Feb. 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 22 Feb. 2026.
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