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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of selfish
Wales herself cautions people who may follow in her footsteps to act with integrity and not be driven by selfish motives.
—
Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 May 2025
And, in the context of wanting to grow up, being subject to another person’s selfish patterns is a pretty fundamental life experience.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
These people start out as aging narcissists with selfish intentions who try to navigate when each of them gets grounded in their own vulnerability.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
Cybercriminals see our increasing reliance on web applications as an opportunity to steal sensitive data for financial gain and other selfish motives.
—Melkon Hovhannisyan, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 May 2025
And, in the context of wanting to grow up, being subject to another person’s selfish patterns is a pretty fundamental life experience.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
These people start out as aging narcissists with selfish intentions who try to navigate when each of them gets grounded in their own vulnerability.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2025
Cybercriminals see our increasing reliance on web applications as an opportunity to steal sensitive data for financial gain and other selfish motives.
—Melkon Hovhannisyan, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selfish
Adjective
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And for any fan of the show — and Wilson’s over-the-top, egotistical Dwight — the lyrics might not be a total surprise.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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In the 1998 episode, Theroux, 53, appears briefly as an egotistical writer who flirts with Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw at a party.—
John Russell,
People.com,
26 Mar. 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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His purpose is solely to stroke his outsized, narcissistic ego to compete with other authoritarian countries such as Russia and North Korea.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
12 May 2025
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The psychologists found Lyle Menendez to be narcissistic.—
Alex Stone,
ABC News,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Trump is self-centered, boastful and uncaring about the needs of others.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2025
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The second thing is that a lot of our discussion about happiness is overly self-centered.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Carrie already knew that her father was self-absorbed and irresponsible.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
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Or as desperate as affluent people can be while also being completely self-absorbed.—
Glenn Kenny,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The dissolution of the Family is seen as a sad, painfully slow affair, as, like Brian Wilson before him, Stone drifted off into his own solipsistic world of experimentation.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
24 Jan. 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 24 May. 2025.
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