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
So there’s definitely a selfish aspect to it.
—
Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2025
Democrats saw an opportunity to portray her as selfish and heartless, willing to manipulate the legal system at the expense of grieving children.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Carrie Bradshaw, frankly, has always been a mess — a beautiful, cringe-inducing, selfish, couture-wearing mess.
—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2025
For a twenty-something American living in 2025 — aka, a Gen-Z kid with plenty to be mad about — his anger feels less principled than selfish.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2025
Democrats saw an opportunity to portray her as selfish and heartless, willing to manipulate the legal system at the expense of grieving children.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Carrie Bradshaw, frankly, has always been a mess — a beautiful, cringe-inducing, selfish, couture-wearing mess.
—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2025
For a twenty-something American living in 2025 — aka, a Gen-Z kid with plenty to be mad about — his anger feels less principled than selfish.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selfish
Adjective
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The community organizer turned president turned socialite has never been great at hiding his egocentric ways.—
Grace Curley,
Boston Herald,
21 July 2025
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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
Adjective
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Sian Clifford gives a larger-than-life performance as a narcissistic aristocrat who hires a struggling filmmaker to record her every move, in Samuel Abraham’s eccentric mockumentary.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
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As the show’s narcissistic heel, Impacciatore’s performance reminds me of Janelle James’ saccharine-cutting turn in Abbott.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Investing time and effort into connecting with your inner sea might seem self-centered.—
Jessica DuLong,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
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Here are some tips for making self-promotion feel less awkward and self-centered, and more authentic.—
Chelsea Tobin,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Is Huda self-absorbed, overdramatic, extremely volatile, overly obsessed with traditional gender roles, and impossible to please?—
Shannon Keating,
Vulture,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Their challenge on Frankenstein was bringing to the big screen the horror-meister’s vision of egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein and his monster as part of a diabolical experiment.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
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Esmeralda is incompetent, egotistic, and, thanks to Impacciatore’s ace comedic timing, totally fabulous.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But he’s been shaken out of his solipsistic reverie.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
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But solipsistic efficiency simulates energy through perception.—
Emil Steiner,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The men at the film’s center — Paul and Carey — are hysterical and self-involved.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
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Not that Samantha wasn’t self-involved.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Yet Aster casts their motives as unprincipled and self-serving.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
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The potential for self-serving bias and belief bias are evident.—
Dr. Gleb Tsipursky,
Forbes,
27 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Selfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selfish. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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