self-absorption
Americannoun
noun
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preoccupation with oneself to the exclusion of others or the outside world
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physics the process in which some of the radiation emitted by a material is absorbed by the material itself
Etymology
Origin of self-absorption
First recorded in 1860–65
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.
By the end, it’s hard not to feel for him even as you laugh at his self-absorption.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
"The self-absorption of the lovers, their descent into a destructive vortex, remains connected to the larger history of East Germany during this period, often meeting history at odd angles."
From BBC ● May 21, 2024
Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer were found guilty of, as the prosecutor put it, “selfishness, self-absorption, immaturity and greed.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2024
Jacobs, the prop master, is encouraged that the show’s carefully selected signifiers of wealth, status, self-absorption and poor taste are still being appreciated by fans.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 13, 2024
He could be generous and caring to a fault, but he had a darker side as well, characterized by monomania, impatience, and unwavering self-absorption, qualities that seemed to intensify through his college years.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
