as in selfness
excessive interest in oneself
a singer-songwriter whose compositions are too often exercises in self-important navel-gazing
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Recent Examples of navel-gazing
Ortberg urged staff to focus on beating its French planemaker competitor Airbus instead of navel-gazing at its own issues.
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Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
In the end, this leads to a novel that might be Murakami’s most navel-gazing work, and one that has the unmistakable feel of a coda.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
If the idea of a deep dive into the pop-culture Zeitgeist of Obama’s presidency feels like an exhausting amount of navel-gazing, well, nothing could be more true to the spirit of the time.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2024
That deserves far more digital ink to be spilled than the usual navel-gazing about how iPhones are boring.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
As for the airport tray aesthetic, while people might be getting het up at the idea of Gen Z holding up the line for some navel-gazing, the US Transport Security Administration is sanguine about the risk.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 8 Sep. 2024
Plenty of people saw these films, and their teeth were set on edge by the cultural homogeneity, the navel-gazing conversations, the unremarkable visual palate, or the nonchalant performances contained therein.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
This persistent reliance on navel-gazing is annoying, and with everything being so on the surface, there’s no urgency whatsoever to the story.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 23 July 2024
The calamitous results of this year’s European Parliamentary elections for Macron and Scholz could result in a prolonged period of French and German navel-gazing—and hence a lack of progress on many EU priorities.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2024
Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
In the end, this leads to a novel that might be Murakami’s most navel-gazing work, and one that has the unmistakable feel of a coda.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
If the idea of a deep dive into the pop-culture Zeitgeist of Obama’s presidency feels like an exhausting amount of navel-gazing, well, nothing could be more true to the spirit of the time.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2024
That deserves far more digital ink to be spilled than the usual navel-gazing about how iPhones are boring.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
As for the airport tray aesthetic, while people might be getting het up at the idea of Gen Z holding up the line for some navel-gazing, the US Transport Security Administration is sanguine about the risk.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 8 Sep. 2024
Plenty of people saw these films, and their teeth were set on edge by the cultural homogeneity, the navel-gazing conversations, the unremarkable visual palate, or the nonchalant performances contained therein.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
This persistent reliance on navel-gazing is annoying, and with everything being so on the surface, there’s no urgency whatsoever to the story.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 23 July 2024
The calamitous results of this year’s European Parliamentary elections for Macron and Scholz could result in a prolonged period of French and German navel-gazing—and hence a lack of progress on many EU priorities.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for navel-gazing
Noun
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Cassie McCarthy, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in relational dynamics, added that reframing selfishness is key.Jason Fields, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
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Compared to the rest of the world’s peoples, Americans lead the planet in selfishness.K. Ward Cummings, Baltimore Sun, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The bathroom itself looks a lot like its counterpart and has a shower, a small vanity sink, and a flushing toilet, as well as some more storage.Adam Williams, New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2024
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Here, garland drapes over each medicine cabinet and fills a small bowl on the vanity top, adding punches of color and festivity without being too literal.Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
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But at least their narcissism can be advantageous to others and society, particularly when it is also expressed in terms of altruistic or prosocial motives.Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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Glinda’s hair flips and knee-jerk narcissism lack the necessary conviction.Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Good athletes are typically highly coachable, leaving their ego at the door, being adaptable and open to feedback and viewing constructive feedback as a gift toward improvement.Jennifer Shewan, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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But fortunately for my oral health and fragile ego, my people-pleasing tendencies won out — and the product changed my life.Mike Winters, CNBC, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
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But Headland’s play distinguishes itself from the others by investigating these confrontations alongside pride: How does this sin, defined by blinding self-absorption and lack of humility, distort the Dahls’ love?Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024
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But that feckless self-absorption is rerouted, if not extinguished, by a chance sighting of local resident Charlotte (Alison Pill).Dennis Harvey, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Too often, his method isn’t nearly as subtle or searching, and this, combined with a reflexive self-involvement, tends to rob The Message of truly resonant insight in both Senegal and Israel.Daniel Bergner, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2024
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The characters’ identities are just a medium for exposing their self-involvement.TIME, TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near navel-gazing
Cite this Entry
“Navel-gazing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navel-gazing. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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