egomania

American  

[ee-goh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh, eg-oh-] / ˌi goʊˈmeɪ ni ə, -ˈmeɪn yə, ˌɛg oʊ- /

noun

1. psychologically abnormal egotism.

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egomania British  

/ ˌiːɡəʊməˈnaɪɪkəl, ˌɛɡ-, ˌɛɡ-, ˌiːɡəʊˈmeɪnɪə /

noun

1. obsessive love for oneself and regard for one's own needs

2. any action dictated by this point of view

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egomania Cultural  

1. An extreme egotism.

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Other Word Forms

• egomaniac noun
• egomaniacal adjective

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

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

Those could be dismissed as stemming from laziness, egomania, or a cavalier relationship to legal rules and ethics.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 2, 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

She clasped her hands together and adopted a pose in caricature of the play heroine in an ecstasy of egomania.

From Who Cares? a story of adolescence by Hamilton, Cosmo