self-important
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-important
First recorded in 1765–75
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.
All this will be to your tastes or not, but credit Mr. McInerney with not being self-important about his material.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Anderson’s film is nowhere near as bad, but it’s as deluded about reality and self-important about its perspective as “Crash” was.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
Pompous and self-important, it sounded as if the newspaper was really trying to say Without the Washington Post, we’re all screwed.
From Slate • Mar. 1, 2025
Though both are esteemed actors in their own right, neither is too self-important to throw off the balance in front of the camera.
From Salon • Dec. 11, 2024
They studied the way Pete blew his nose, that they might get it right; they studied his sneeze, his laugh, the self-important way he flipped through his calendar.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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.
