narcissism
Americannoun
-
inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity.
- Synonyms:
- egocentrism, smugness
-
Psychiatry. narcissistic personality disorder.
-
Psychoanalysis. erotic gratification derived from admiration of one's own physical or mental attributes, being a normal condition at the infantile level of personality development.
noun
-
an exceptional interest in or admiration for oneself, esp one's physical appearance
-
sexual satisfaction derived from contemplation of one's own physical or mental endowments
Other Word Forms
- narcissist noun
- narcissistic adjective
- narcist noun
- narcistic adjective
- nonnarcism noun
- nonnarcissism noun
Etymology
Origin of narcissism
First recorded in 1820–25, and in 1900–05 narcissism for def. 3; narcissus, -ism. The psychoanalysis meaning is from the German word Narzissismus, coined in 1899 by Paul Näcke (1851–1913), German psychiatrist and criminologist
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Martin displays terrific comic timing as Butler, deftly channeling the general’s narcissism and exasperation, whether fussing with paperwork or pontificating over the sherry decanter.
From Washington Post
Of course it's frustrating that they think that level of narcissism is acceptable in a political leader.
From Salon
Once again, he is surrendering to his violent urges and his profound narcissism; mental health experts have warned for years that Trump is likely a sociopath.
From Salon
He does little to conceal his most distinctive characteristics: his racism, misogyny, dishonesty, narcissism, incompetence, cruelty, instability, and corruption.
From Salon
Donald Trump's principal personality trait has always been crippling narcissism, and he's always had trouble distinguishing between his own interests and those of his followers.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
