egomania
Americannoun
noun
-
obsessive love for oneself and regard for one's own needs
-
any action dictated by this point of view
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of egomania
First recorded in 1815–25; ego + -mania; modeled on monomania
Explanation
If you have an obsessive, intense love for yourself, you might have egomania. People who are diagnosed with egomania always put their own needs above those of others. Simply being vain or slightly self-absorbed isn't true egomania. People who actually suffer from egomania are out of touch with reality, having delusions of their own power and greatness, and often believe they're being persecuted or are terribly unappreciated by other people. The early 19th century word combines ego, "the self," or in Latin, I, with mania, "mental derangement," and in Greek "madness, passion, or fury."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Maybe it wasn’t the egomania that fueled Kilmer's reputation, but his fervent desire to make everything he did undeniably interesting, sometimes at the expense of the films around him.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2025
Standing athwart this mountain of egomania was Francis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2025
And it’s clear that part of what makes this possible is McCarthy’s enthusiasm for the actual vote-counting, hand-holding work required of his position, and his lack of both Gingrichian egomania and get-me-out-of-here impatience.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2023
He referred to them as “unmasked egomania orgies” and said that most people might think twice about putting on these events right now but “most of the time he doesn’t even think once”.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 15, 2020
He knew the ruthlessness of the man and his overweening lust of power, which had passed the bounds of ordinary ambition and had become a Napoleonic egomania.
From Swirling Waters by Max Rittenberg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
