navel-gazing
[ ney-vuhl-gey-zing ]
/ ˈneɪ vəlˌgeɪ zɪŋ /
Save This Word!
noun Slang.
excessive absorption in self-analysis or focus on a single issue.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Origin of navel-gazing
First recorded in 1955–60; navel + gaz(e) + -ing1; perhaps from Hours With the Mystics (1856) by Robert Alfred Vaughan, English Congregationalist minister and author (1823–57), “...if a man shut himself up… turning his thoughts inward, gazing towards his navel..., he would at length behold a divine glory….”
Words nearby navel-gazing
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for navel-gazing
“Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time
What Is “GOP” Short For?
What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”?
“Vaccinate” vs. “Inoculate” vs. “Immunize”: What Are The Differences?
“Effectiveness” vs. “Efficacy” vs. “Efficiency”: When To Use Each Word For The Best Results
Where Does The Name “Saturday” Come From?
British Dictionary definitions for navel-gazing
navel-gazing
noun
informal self-absorbed behaviour
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012