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
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.
Narcissistic personality disorder is a condition recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2025
The court also heard a number of mitigating factors, including Khalife's age and a psychological report from 2023 diagnosing him with Antisocial Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
From BBC • Feb. 3, 2025
The goal of the gray rock technique is to disengage without ending contact, said Ramani Durvasula, a clinical psychologist and the author of “It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing From Narcissistic People.”
From New York Times • May 31, 2024
Narcissistic personality disorder is a subtype of pathological narcissism in which someone has persistent, long-term issues.
From Scientific American • Aug. 16, 2023
Behind them, Francis returned to his Narcissistic study of himself in stone.
From The Servant Problem by Young, Robert F.
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.
