narcissistic
Americanadjective
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having an undue fascination with oneself; vain.
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Psychiatry. relating to, characterized by, or exhibiting narcissistic personality disorder.
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Psychoanalysis. tending to derive erotic gratification from admiration of one's own physical or mental attributes.
Other Word Forms
- narcissistically adverb
- nonnarcissistic adjective
- unnarcissistic adjective
Etymology
Origin of narcissistic
First recorded in 1915–20; narciss(ism) + -istic
Explanation
If you can’t stop talking about yourself and obsess constantly about the way you look, you could be exhibiting narcissistic tendencies, meaning you're obsessed with yourself, especially your outside appearance. Scholarly types may know that the word narcissistic is related to the Greek myth of Narcissus, a boy known for his good looks who after angered the gods, fell in love with his reflection in a pool. Narcissus wasted away there, too fascinated with his looks to save his own life. A narcissistic person may suffer a similar fate. The adjective narcissistic describes those who are excessively self-absorbed, especially about their looks.
Vocabulary lists containing narcissistic
Face It: Selfie Vocab
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Negative Words to Describe a Person
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
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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.
But that agenda is also profoundly narcissistic and poorly conceived, not to mention managed by shameless lickspittles whose only authentic job skill lies in praising the boss.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
If economics can be called the dismal science, I’d argue that eugenics might be called the narcissistic one.
From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026
Was Kiritsis a narcissistic madman or a schmuck who’d put too much trust in the American ideals of hard work and fair treatment?
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026
It’s a primitive but effective tactic identified by psychologists as one used by manipulative or narcissistic people.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 6, 2026
“Margo’s parents suffer a severe narcissistic injury whenever she acts out,” Dad said to me.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
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.
