as in egotistical
overly concerned with one's own desires, needs, or interests
a selfish desire to succeed at the expense of others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in selfness
excessive interest in oneself
the only reason for constantly ignoring everyone else's problems is selfishness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of selfish
Rachana Adyanthaya, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Pope in New York slams ‘selfish’ thirst for power and wealth
Pope Francis endorses the Iran nuclear deal at U.N., but his focus remains the poor and vulnerable.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
His touring feels like a shield against that selfishness, an investment in a connection with his fellow Americans.
—Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Adjective
While soccer is a team game, Guardiola instructs players to first focus on excelling personally—to be selfish.
—Rachana Adyanthaya, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Pope in New York slams ‘selfish’ thirst for power and wealth
Pope Francis endorses the Iran nuclear deal at U.N., but his focus remains the poor and vulnerable.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
The film’s underlying suggestion that spies are just as susceptible to selfishness, prone to mistakes, and likely to lie as anyone lines up nicely with some of the revelations brought to light during the George W. Bush years, and little that’s happened since has made the movie seem less insightful.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
His touring feels like a shield against that selfishness, an investment in a connection with his fellow Americans.
—Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 20 Feb. 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
Noun
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Saint Laurent’s Gaby vanity bag and Miu Miu’s suede pouch nabbed the No. 4 and No. 5 spots respectively.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
1 May 2025
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The bathroom, meanwhile, is accessed by a pocket sliding door and includes a shower, vanity sink, and a flushing toilet that can be upgrade to a composting model.—
Adam Williams,
New Atlas,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The New York Knicks’ offense in Monday night’s 100-94 Game 2 loss to the Detroit Pistons was egocentric.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s slogans—America First and Make America Great Again—embody the essence of populism, namely using ideology to advance a political program that is morally unconstrained and driven by collective egoism.—
BÁLINT MADLOVICS,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Feb. 2025
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Psychological egoism is at play here, too, with Jimmy’s extreme emotional investment in getting Grace help.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
23 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Some may have narcissistic tendencies, where putting others down gives them a sense of superiority.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Our study shows that narcissistic children often emerge as leaders in their classrooms.—
Eddie Brummelman,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Perhaps the defining factor in a rousing year was the Dutchman’s ability to leave his ego at the door.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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An Uncomfortable Situation For Meloni and the Vatican Vatican officials have likely had a difficult time planning the seating for the ceremony, trying to avoid having sparring leaders next to each other and not hurt anyone's ego by not giving them the front row.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Ava Daniels is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation for being self-centered and arrogant.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
9 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
Cite this Entry
“Selfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selfish. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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