as in egotistical
overly concerned with one's own desires, needs, or interests
a selfish desire to succeed at the expense of others
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Recent Examples of selfish
Even the social, nationalist conception was merely the extension of self-love to one’s community or one’s nation; to progress, humanity must transcend such selfish motives.
—
Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2025
But there is enough space, even in the most primitive fan brain, to accept Devers was sensitive and selfish, and those offenses do not amount to what ownership and Breslow did Sunday night: betray the future of the franchise with a disastrous deal.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 June 2025
When that system breaks down—as when someone suffers amygdala lesions—people may struggle to balance generous and selfish motives and consequently rely on simpler, default strategies that do not depend on networks that include this brain structure.
—Tobias Kalenscher, Scientific American, 13 June 2025
In the late 1800s, two child psychologists coined the term only child syndrome to describe the negative traits that their research showed only children often possess, including being spoiled, selfish, maladjusted, and anti-social.
—Liz Hammond, Vogue, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2025
But there is enough space, even in the most primitive fan brain, to accept Devers was sensitive and selfish, and those offenses do not amount to what ownership and Breslow did Sunday night: betray the future of the franchise with a disastrous deal.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 June 2025
When that system breaks down—as when someone suffers amygdala lesions—people may struggle to balance generous and selfish motives and consequently rely on simpler, default strategies that do not depend on networks that include this brain structure.
—Tobias Kalenscher, Scientific American, 13 June 2025
In the late 1800s, two child psychologists coined the term only child syndrome to describe the negative traits that their research showed only children often possess, including being spoiled, selfish, maladjusted, and anti-social.
—Liz Hammond, Vogue, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selfish
Adjective
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The men were very egotistical in this film and no one really showed up.—
Jeff Conway,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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In the upcoming film, Oscar Isaac stars as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature (Jacob Elordi) to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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Bang is perfect for this kind of role, playing an imposing figure who can be both aloof and egocentric, and whose grand stature diminishes as the film progresses.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
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Impulsive, egocentric, and mendacious, Trump has, in the same span, set fire to the integrity of his office.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There’s a name for this kind of emotional confusion: narcissistic abuse.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
27 June 2025
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Running for two seasons, the off-kilter series centered on fictional billionaire Ellis Dragon (Rob), a narcissistic biotech entrepreneur whose mental health spirals after the loss of his wife.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
People.com,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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This includes uncouth habits like bad hygiene, inconsiderate acts like being self-centered or a violation of social norms.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Venis is ambitious, juvenile, and self-centered, even questioning whether other people are as real as him and his friends.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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The reader of Dykes to Watch Out For will recognize Alison as a new, unimproved version of Bechdel’s comic-strip alter ego, Mo: a total drag who rails against the capitalist war machine but is too self-absorbed to picket a homophobic business.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
16 June 2025
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That changed with The Boys – Eric Kripke’s superhero satire, where Crawford plays The Deep, an insecure and self-absorbed aquatic anti-hero.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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The guitar, like golf, invites solipsistic dissolution masquerading as self-actualization.—
Nick Paumgarten,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
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In fact, that country’s name has become shorthand for a certain solipsistic dread in American popular culture.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Not just for this reason, but also due to the fact she’s been so self-involved the past year.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
2 Feb. 2025
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A little self-involved, but the check clears either way.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
16 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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The potential for self-serving bias and belief bias are evident.—
Dr. Gleb Tsipursky,
Forbes,
27 Mar. 2023
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For officials in China and Russia, de facto adversaries of the United States, the Iraq War is an easy precedent to put forward to shoot down Washington’s talking points, no matter how self-serving and cynical that may be.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
Washington Post,
17 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Selfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selfish. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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