selfish

American  

[sel-fish] / ˈsɛl fɪʃ /

adjective

1. 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

2. characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself.

   selfish motives.

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selfish British  

/ ˈsɛlfɪʃ /

adjective

1. chiefly concerned with one's own interest, advantage, etc, esp to the total exclusion of the interests of others

2. relating to or characterized by self-interest

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Other Word Forms

• selfishly adverb
• selfishness noun

Etymology

Origin of selfish

First recorded in 1630–40; self + -ish ¹

Compare meaning

How does selfish compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• selfish vs. selfless
• selfish vs. self-seeking
• narcissist vs. selfish

Example Sentences

Your partner’s early bedtime when you want to stay up isn’t lazy, selfish or a reflection of their love.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jonah waited for some kid to speak out, to complain, “We’re not selfish!”

From Literature

“It’s time I stopped being so selfish. Maybe we should go back to civilization so you can have a normal life.”

From Literature

The cub’s selfish decisions lead to the tree laying itself across a chasm to save its surrogate child.

From Los Angeles Times

Scientists have discovered how to make people less selfish - at least temporarily - by stimulating two areas of their brain.

From BBC

Related Words

• egotistical
• greedy
• narcissistic
• self-centered