egomaniac

American  

[ee-goh-mey-nee-ak, eg-oh-] / ˌi goʊˈmeɪ ni æk, ˌɛg oʊ- /

noun

1. someone who displays egomania, a tendency to refer to oneself excessively and boastfully.

   Academic research appears to be a rat race of high-strung egomaniacs fighting over grant money, recognition, and their scientific legacies.

2. someone who displays excessive selfishness and self-centeredness.

   Many have claimed that social media will turn us all into narcissists, egomaniacs, and internet addicts.

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Other Word Forms

• egomaniacal adjective

Etymology

Origin of egomaniac

ego ( def. ) + maniac ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does egomaniac compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• egomaniac vs. narcissist

Explanation

An egomaniac is a person who's obsessively self-absorbed. An egomaniac might only take photos of himself — never of another person. Just because you like to take selfies doesn't make you an egomaniac — a true egomaniac has a psychological disorder that makes him believe that he is the greatest, most important person in the world. You can also use the word to describe someone you know who's a self-centered jerk, though. Egomaniac, coined in the early 19th century, combines ego, "the self," or in Latin, I, and maniac, from the Greek mania, "madness or frenzy."

Example Sentences

"He was the most humble egomaniac you could ever meet!"

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

Diana Nyad, at least as she’s portrayed by Annette Bening in the film “Nyad,” is prickly, blunt and something of an egomaniac.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2023

He is an egomaniac, a fabulist, and a megalomaniac who believes that he has godlike powers.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2023

While it may be understandable that a thin-skinned egomaniac with his liberty on the line might be unable to control himself, how do his lawyers embrace such lunacy?

From Slate • May 26, 2023

As an egomaniac, he likes to picture himself in two characters, one of George John Dasch and the other of George John Davis.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple