as in selfness
excessive interest in oneself
the only reason for constantly ignoring everyone else's problems is selfishness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 selfishness
Hirschhorn’s Josh manages to be endearing even when the character’s messiness and selfishness overwhelm him.
—
Chad Jones, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Approach LinkedIn DMs with service instead of selfishness, so sales become a natural byproduct of connection.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Batemen gets a few moving monologues, but Vince’s heavier dose of morbid witticisms aren’t enough to overcome his pervasive selfishness and abominable behavior (nor is a late-arriving revelation about his past).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Belly snaps at Taylor for her TikTok therapy and her selfishness, at which point Steven bursts in to defend Taylor and announce that Jere’s back.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfishness
Chad Jones, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Approach LinkedIn DMs with service instead of selfishness, so sales become a natural byproduct of connection.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Batemen gets a few moving monologues, but Vince’s heavier dose of morbid witticisms aren’t enough to overcome his pervasive selfishness and abominable behavior (nor is a late-arriving revelation about his past).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Belly snaps at Taylor for her TikTok therapy and her selfishness, at which point Steven bursts in to defend Taylor and announce that Jere’s back.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfishness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selfishness
Noun
-
Will include a champagne bar, soft seating, makeup counters and Hollywood vanity mirrors.—
Melonee Hurt,
Nashville Tennessean,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Stock up your vanity with these staples, or get a jump-start on holiday shopping while deals last.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This is different from egoism and self-centeredness.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
In advance of the ceremony, the finalists were asked an essential question: Orwell claimed that prose writers have four ‘great motivations’ (putting aside the need to earn a living): sheer egoism; aesthetic enthusiasm; historical impulse; and political purpose.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
And the ego needed to overcome shyness and stage fright collides with the endless rejection that defines the profession.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
-
But Friendship also let viewers see some of those Robinson character quirks as evidence of selfishness, male ego, and real mental instability.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Selfishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selfishness. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share