as in egocentric
overly concerned with one's own desires, needs, or interests
a selfish desire to succeed at the expense of others
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of selfish
While she and his working mom (Sarah Snook) are initially seen as culprits, the boy’s selfish father (Jake Lacy, who played similar roles in the dire Moriarty adaptation Apples Never Fall and The White Lotus) turns out to be the guiltiest party of all.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team.
—Tim Reynolds, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2026
In the film, Dano plays twins Paul and Eli Sunday, the latter being a preacher who proves as selfish and manipulative as the film’s intimidating protagonist, Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day Lewis.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
At the beginning, Simon was being selfish.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team.
—Tim Reynolds, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2026
In the film, Dano plays twins Paul and Eli Sunday, the latter being a preacher who proves as selfish and manipulative as the film’s intimidating protagonist, Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day Lewis.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
At the beginning, Simon was being selfish.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selfish
Adjective
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A lot of tennis players are so egocentric.—
Patrick McEnroe,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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But research on egocentric bias shows that leaders vastly overestimate how much audiences care about the company's journey.—
Harrison Monarth,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some older creep takes you aside and teaches you how to manipulate your girlfriends like a narcissistic abuse apprenticeship program?—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
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His comments were grievance-filled, narcissistic, conspiratorial, factually false, divisive, and insulting.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Your son appears to be self-centered and emotionally distanced from you and the family.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
22 Dec. 2025
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Your son appears to be self-centered and emotionally distanced from you and the family.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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In Tim Burton’s breakthrough film, O’Hara played tragically hip Delia Deetz, the pretentious and self-absorbed stepmother of Winona Ryder’s Lydia.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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Benedict doesn’t realize that the woman who has entirely captured his attention is Sophie, the maid for the formidable Araminta Gun (Katie Leung), aka Lady Penwood and her daughters, the vicious and self-absorbed Rosamund Li (Michelle Mao) and the sweet but simple Posy Li (Isabella Wei).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The movie is happy to have Linda commit acts of brutality to preserve her place on top, but what is true equality if not allowing your anti-heroine to be in all ways just as monstrously self-interested as the men?—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
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Some two decades after the debacle of Iraq, the subjective preferences of metropolitan journalism are more widely exposed and, as the implosion of the Washington Post illustrates, the owners of media organs are revealed to be aggressively self-interested.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Starring Oscar Isaac as a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a monstrous creature (played by Jacob Elordi) to life despite all odds and with dire consequences.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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In Lively’s version of events, Baldoni was an egotistical, posturing actor, who tried to present himself as an enlightened male feminist.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Krakowski was immediately mad for the part of the egomaniacal actress Jenna Maroney.—
Keaton Bell,
Vogue,
2 Jan. 2026
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Still, this latest entry isn’t quite as offensive as previous efforts, partly because director Ruben Fleischer brings slightly more visual punch to the action, and the classically anxious Eisenberg has settled in nicely into his role as the awkwardly egomaniacal Atlas.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Such moments—subjective but hardly solipsistic—are few and far between.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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Helm is nothing if not solipsistic, narcissistic even.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Selfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selfish. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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