egotistic
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or characterized by egotism.
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given to talking about oneself; vain; boastful; opinionated.
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indifferent to the well-being of others; selfish.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of egotistic
Explanation
If you believe you are the most talented, charming, intelligent person on Earth then you are egotistic (or a politician): in other words you have too inflated an opinion of yourself. Egotistic is derived from the Latin word ego for "I." Don't confuse egotistic with egoistic, which is essentially a moral philosophy that believes all human actions, even the most seemingly selfless, are guided at heart by self-interest. It's possible to be egoistic without being egotistic, and vice versa.
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.
Mr. Margouleff, who reads quietly and naturally, does not come across as egotistic but rather as humble, even vulnerable, and able to laugh at himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who had been highly critical of what he called Mr Orban's "strange and egotistic game," posted on X: "Viktor Orban could be 'persuaded'... Let's move on."
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2024
The first-act klutziness is even klutzier, and he’s made the unfulfilling choice to shift our attention from the starlet to her egotistic male co-star, sacrificing her emotional arc for some low-hanging jokes about pretentious twits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2023
Year-end lists are egotistic, simplistic and too small to capture life’s bigness, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy argues on “First Person.”
From New York Times ● Dec. 22, 2022
I could also say that he did this not through altruistic motives but selfish ones, in order to fulfill some egotistic impulse of his own.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
