selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

1

: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others

2

: arising from concern with one's own welfare or advantage in disregard of others

a selfish act

3

: being an actively replicating repetitive sequence of nucleic acid that serves no known function

selfish DNA

also : being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication

selfish genes

Synonyms

• egocentric
• egoistic
• egoistical
• egomaniacal
• egotistic
• egotistical
• narcissistic
• self-absorbed
• self-centered
• self-concerned
• self-infatuated
• self-interested
• self-involved
• self-loving
• self-obsessed
• self-oriented
• self-preoccupied
• self-regarding
• self-seeking
• self-serving
• solipsistic

Examples of selfish in a Sentence

She's interested only in her own selfish concerns.

I wish he'd spend less time with his friends and more time with me. Am I being selfish?

Recent Examples on the Web

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

The show previously argued that the answer is no, that some people look for the light, that there can be selflessness in even the most selfish acts carried out at the end of the world. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for selfish

• unselfish

Kids Definition

selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

: taking care of oneself without thought for others

selfishly adverb

selfishness noun

Medical Definition

selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

: being an actively replicating repetitive sequence of nucleic acid that serves no known function

selfish DNA

also : being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication

selfish genes