Meaning & use
selfish
Last updated
UK/ˈsel.fɪʃ/
US/ˈsel.fɪʃ/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Caring only about your own needs and wishes and not about other people's.
Grammar: Before a noun or after a verb: a selfish act, he is selfish.
Patterns
- selfish of someone to do something
- selfish about something
It was selfish of him to take the last seat.
She called her brother selfish for not sharing.
A selfish person rarely makes lasting friends.
Word forms
| comparative | more selfish |
|---|---|
| superlative | most selfish |
Common combinations
- selfish behavior
- His selfish behavior upset the team.
- selfish reasons
- He helped for purely selfish reasons.
- deeply selfish
- It was a deeply selfish decision.
- selfish of you
- It's selfish of you to leave.
- selfish child
- The selfish child refused to share.
Synonyms and how they differ
- self-centered
- Stresses focusing on yourself, often without noticing, rather than deliberately taking.
- greedy
- Means wanting more than your share, especially money or food.
- egotistical
- Means too proud and focused on your own importance.
- inconsiderate
- Means not thinking about others' feelings, and is milder.
Opposites
Word family
- selfishly adverb
- in a way that ignores others
- selfishness noun
- the quality of caring only for yourself
- unselfish adjective
- caring about others
Commonly confused: selfish or self-interested?
selfish vs self-interested
Self-interested can be neutral, while selfish is always critical.
Practice
It was ___ of him to eat the last slice without asking anyone.
Choose one answer.
Eating the last slice without asking shows disregard for others, so selfish. Selfless is the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “selfish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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