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

Staying with them this long had been selfish on my part.

From Literature

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

Related Words

• egotistical
• greedy
• narcissistic
• self-centered