selfish
Americanadjective
-
devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.
- Synonyms:
- stingy, parsimonious, illiberal, egoistic, self-seeking, self-interested
-
characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself.
selfish motives.
adjective
-
chiefly concerned with one's own interest, advantage, etc, esp to the total exclusion of the interests of others
-
relating to or characterized by self-interest
Other Word Forms
- selfishly adverb
- selfishness noun
Etymology
Origin of selfish
Compare meaning
How does selfish compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
‘I’m fed up’: My selfish mother-in-law has controlled me for 30 years.
From MarketWatch
MacKenzie Scott donated $700 million to more than a dozen historically Black colleges and universities, showing that not all tech billionaires are selfish and venal.
From Los Angeles Times
As the holidays approach, we want to do our part to help eliminate the scourge of bad and selfish driving across the state.
From Los Angeles Times
When you weigh his selfish desires against any other character’s needs, Marty is as hollow as a ping pong ball.
From Los Angeles Times
They were witness to humanity’s swift decline into a more isolated, cruel and selfish species.
From Salon
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.
