Meaning & use

self-absorbed

adjective·Academic

Preoccupied with one's own interests, thoughts, or feelings to the point of ignoring others.

See it in a sentence

He was too self-absorbed to notice that his friend was clearly upset.

Critics called the memoir self-absorbed, focusing endlessly on the author's minor struggles.

A note on using this word

Self-absorbed carries a stronger negative judgment than 'introspective,' which simply means thoughtful about oneself.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “self-absorbed”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.