Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of selfish Now, subsequent generations are paying the price for their selfish ambitions. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2025 These co-workers are not heroes for coming in to work with their germs, but selfish and inconsiderate. Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025 Having to carry the weight of someone else’s selfish needs makes everything harder. Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025 Though these groups might adopt far-right aesthetics, the truth is that their ideology is defined by a selfish kind of nihilism. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for selfish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selfish
Adjective
  • The community organizer turned president turned socialite has never been great at hiding his egocentric ways.
    Grace Curley, Boston Herald, 21 July 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • In order to not be fooled by narcissistic kindness, Sarkis encourages people to view one-off good deeds in the context of someone's overall behavior.
    Charles Trepany, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Retired Chief of Detention Telisa White told The Charlotte Observer recently that McFadden is narcissistic and unprofessional.
    Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Between the ages of 6 and 9, children begin shifting from being self-centered to noticing the emotions and perspectives of others.
    Ekaterina Muravevskaia, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Going viral doesn’t come without some backlash however, as Colson has been called selfish and self-centered by certain internet users.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Brilliant and brave, the poet and soldier was also entirely self-absorbed, turning the Adriatic city into his own personal manuscript.
    Ed Simon June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • Is Huda self-absorbed, overdramatic, extremely volatile, overly obsessed with traditional gender roles, and impossible to please?
    Shannon Keating, Vulture, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • While his supporters see a pragmatist trying to make the best of a bad decision, his many detractors dismiss him as egotistical and unable to see his failures.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Starring Oscar Isaac as the titular brilliant but egotistical scientist Victor, Frankenstein sees the doctor bring a creature (Elordi) to life with a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to both of their undoings.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The American academy has been far more used to a confessionalistic, even solipsistic style in its lyric poetry.
    Elaine L. Wang September 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
  • But he’s been shaken out of his solipsistic reverie.
    A.O. Scott, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Redford said recent signs of a resurgence in student activism are welcome change over the 1980s, when many were self-involved and primarily concerned about making money.
    Hannah Parry Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The men at the film’s center — Paul and Carey — are hysterical and self-involved.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • His whole agenda was self-serving.
    THR Staff, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Fair enough, but Roxie’s self-serving warning turns out to be prescient when Wes comes home to find Estelle ready to break up with him, bags packed and everything.
    Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Selfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selfish. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on selfish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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