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
Daring to dream of anything more felt selfish and indulgent, so a four-day solo wellness retreat in another country seemed downright irresponsible.
—
Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026
Cross, 62, portrayed Ian Hawke — a selfish and greedy music executive and the main antagonist — in the first three live-action Alvin and the Chipmunks films (2007, 2009, 2011).
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
But Potter, who struggled with unchecked mental illness, depicted himself as an antihero outsider with a spiritual connection to the ravens of Yosemite, and could also be juvenile, selfish and oblivious.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
The offseason is the time players have to be selfish about things like contracts and playing time, too.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026
Cross, 62, portrayed Ian Hawke — a selfish and greedy music executive and the main antagonist — in the first three live-action Alvin and the Chipmunks films (2007, 2009, 2011).
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
But Potter, who struggled with unchecked mental illness, depicted himself as an antihero outsider with a spiritual connection to the ravens of Yosemite, and could also be juvenile, selfish and oblivious.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
The offseason is the time players have to be selfish about things like contracts and playing time, too.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selfish
Adjective
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The Miniature Wife Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen star in this dramedy about an egocentric scientist on the verge of a breakthrough who accidentally shrinks his wife, a Pulitzer-winning author who hasn’t written a lick in more than a decade.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
A lot of tennis players are so egocentric.—
Patrick McEnroe,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Nicky and Morgan’s narcissistic mom, Linda, is played by a wonderfully typecast Laurie Metcalf.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Her narcissistic friends constantly change the subject back to their petty arguments whenever Anne complains about her circumstances.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And Chapman booked the role of his wife, Stacy’s younger and most self-centered daughter Paige.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Travel ball is very self-centered.—
Eric Sondheimer
Columnist
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In Love Story, the Hannah character is self-absorbed and high-maintenance, acting as something of a foil, leaving the viewer to root for Carolyn to end up with John.—
Kate Storey,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2026
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Marty is self-absorbed, forgetful, doesn’t much like people and spends hours online looking for advice about how to be a handyman.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Three hundred high school players gather at a remote facility to compete in ruthless trials where only one will emerge as the world’s greatest and most egoistic striker.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Health officials, starting with Anthony Fauci, had been untrustworthy, self-interested, and aching for power.—
David Blumenthal,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
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Yet political polls repeatedly reveal how many citizens--across race, age, gender, and background--still vote from a self-interested posture.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Demolishes the East Wing of the White House on an egotistical whim?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The social enrichment, the egotistical component?—
The Editors,
Robb Report,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the fifth and final season of The Boys, the world is completely subject to Homelander’s erratic, egomaniacal whims.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The nation is captive to his egomaniacal whims.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Selfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selfish. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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