narcissistic

[nahr-suh-sis-tik]

adjective

1. having an undue fascination with oneself; vain.

2. Psychiatry.,  relating to, characterized by, or exhibiting narcissistic personality disorder.

3. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of narcissistic¹

First recorded in 1915–20; narciss(ism) + -istic

Example Sentences

“I think he has some kind of narcissistic personality disorder,” said one money manager who heard Lippmann’s pitch but did not do his trade.

Read more on Literature

The first page calls the team owners “narcissistic,” “devious” and “megalomaniacal capitalists,” and Mr. Smith has barely warmed up.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I did a bunch of research on narcissistic abusive relationships and how beguiling and confusing they are.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"Those are the best of them. The worst of them have got this kind of narcissistic inflation where they go: 'I can help people, I can do better than the psychiatrists'."

Read more on BBC

On his podcasts and elsewhere, Maron has spoken at length about growing up with narcissistic, emotionally detached parents and how that dynamic likely laid the groundwork for his problematic sense of self.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• self-centered 
• self-involved