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
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 selfish
Unfortunately, DeSantis and both parties have become selfish in wanting everything for themselves and nothing for the remaining diverse part of our society.
—
Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2025
Pet peeves: Rude people, selfish people, mean people, people who tailgate/cut you off while driving.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 29 Jan. 2025
As detailed by Flourish Together, selfish behavior in relationships often manifests through unilateral decision-making, dismissive responses, and an expectation that one partner will cater to the other's needs without reciprocation.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
This -- these are the two most selfish politicians in the presidency in my lifetime.
—ABC News, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for selfish 
Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2025
Pet peeves: Rude people, selfish people, mean people, people who tailgate/cut you off while driving.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 29 Jan. 2025
As detailed by Flourish Together, selfish behavior in relationships often manifests through unilateral decision-making, dismissive responses, and an expectation that one partner will cater to the other's needs without reciprocation.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
This -- these are the two most selfish politicians in the presidency in my lifetime.
—ABC News, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for selfish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selfish
Adjective
-
This was my chance to not be an actor, not have that stink of being an actor, that egotistical, show-off, controlling, making choices, being clever part of being an actor.—
Chris Vognar,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2024
-
The film, which centers on a group of egotistical actors making a Vietnam War movie, grossed nearly $200 million worldwide and picked up an Oscar nomination for supporting actor thanks to Robert Downey Jr.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Setting aside humanity, humility, charity, generosity, rationality, reality and other distractions, the Los Angeles fires add another element to what was already a fraught relationship between two egocentric political figures.—
Dan Walters,
The Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Once Leo Season begins on the 22nd, and Chiron begins its retrograde in Aries on the 26th, our mission will be to cultivate a healthy relationship with our own self-esteem without veering into narcissistic or egocentric tendencies.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
refinery29.com,
29 June 2024
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, whenever Isabell’s narcissistic husband Philippe (Vincent Macaigne) is on screen, the film switches registers from drama to farce.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2025
-
To the narcissistic wannabe dictator on the ship, Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) and his ambitious wife Ylfa (Toni Collette), Mickey is sub-human, dismissible and invisible, a cog in the wheel of their plans.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Sitting on the sidelines and labeling someone else as self-centered is easy.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
-
The Herod book doesn’t make her attitude about segregation less myopic and self-centered.—
Louis Menand,
The New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Ambitious and egregiously self-absorbed — Mona and Milton have those traits in common — Mona always tolerated his aggressive handsiness, his middle-of-the-night phone calls, his chronic inappropriateness.—
Laura Collins-Hughes,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2025
-
At this moment the endless analysis and scolding being put forward about what college students were too self-absorbed to grasp about the 2024 election is not helpful.—
Nicolaus Mills,
New York Daily News,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The dissolution of the Family is seen as a sad, painfully slow affair, as, like Brian Wilson before him, Stone drifted off into his own solipsistic world of experimentation.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Needless to say, this particular motive is not mentioned in Biden’s solipsistic and self-pitying statement.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Not just for this reason, but also due to the fact she’s been so self-involved the past year.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
2 Feb. 2025
-
A little self-involved, but the check clears either way.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
16 Aug. 2024
Adjective
-
The potential for self-serving bias and belief bias are evident.—
Dr. Gleb Tsipursky,
Forbes,
27 Mar. 2023
-
For officials in China and Russia, de facto adversaries of the United States, the Iraq War is an easy precedent to put forward to shoot down Washington’s talking points, no matter how self-serving and cynical that may be.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
Washington Post,
17 Mar. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near selfish
Cite this Entry
“Selfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selfish. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share