Meaning & use
self-centered
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Meaning
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Thinking mainly about yourself and your own wishes, and paying little attention to what other people need or feel.
Grammar: Can come before a noun or after be: a self-centered boss, or 'he is self-centered'.
Patterns
- be self-centered about something
He is so self-centered that he never asks about anyone else's day.
Her self-centered behavior at the party annoyed the other guests.
Young children are naturally self-centered, but most grow out of it.
Word forms
| comparative | more self-centered |
|---|---|
| superlative | most self-centered |
Common combinations
- self-centered attitude
- His self-centered attitude cost him many friendships.
- completely self-centered
- She was completely self-centered and rarely listened.
- self-centered behavior
- The coach criticized the player's self-centered behavior.
- selfish and self-centered
- They called him selfish and self-centered.
- self-centered person
- A self-centered person finds it hard to compromise.
Synonyms and how they differ
- selfish
- Selfish stresses acting to benefit yourself at others' expense, while self-centered stresses focusing attention on yourself.
- egotistical
- Egotistical is stronger and suggests constantly talking about yourself and thinking you are important.
- self-absorbed
- Self-absorbed suggests being lost in your own thoughts, often without meaning any harm.
- narcissistic
- Narcissistic is far stronger, often has a psychological sense, and suggests excessive admiration of oneself.
Opposites
Word family
- self-centeredness noun
- the habit of thinking mainly of yourself
- self-centred adjective
- the British spelling
- self-centeredly adverb
- in a way that puts yourself first
Commonly confused: self-centered or self-confident?
self-centered vs self-confident
Self-confident means sure of your own abilities, which is usually positive, while self-centered is a criticism.
Practice
A friend who never listens and always steers the conversation back to herself might be described as ___.
Choose one answer.
Self-centered describes someone who thinks mainly about herself. Considerate, generous and modest are all positive and mean the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “self-centered”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.