self-absorbed

American  

[self-ab-sawrbd, -zawrbd, self-] / ˈsɛlf æbˈsɔrbd, -ˈzɔrbd, ˌsɛlf- /

adjective

1. preoccupied with one's own thoughts, interests, etc., especially to the extent that other people and things go unnoticed.

   She was criticized for being too self-absorbed, but she was an inventor, and when struck by an idea she had to shut the world out in order to focus on it.

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self-absorbed British  

adjective

1. preoccupied with one's own thoughts, emotions, life, etc

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Usage

What does self-absorbed mean? Self-absorbed is an adjective used to describe a person who’s preoccupied with their own wants and needs. When used in this term, the word absorbed means deeply preoccupied or totally wrapped up in something—in this case, oneself. Self-absorbed is almost always used negatively. When you call people self-absorbed, it usually means you think they only think about and care about themselves. The term is typically used to describe a person’s overall personality (as opposed to their behavior on a certain day or at a certain time). The state of being self-absorbed is called self-absorption (notice how the b becomes a p in the noun absorption). Example: My therapist helped me to see how self-absorbed I was, only ever thinking about myself and making everything about me.

Etymology

Origin of self-absorbed

First recorded in 1840–50

Explanation

If you're overly concerned with yourself, including your own feelings and thoughts, you're self-absorbed. Self-absorbed people don't think much about how others are feeling. Your self-absorbed acquaintance Isn't likely to ask you sincerely how you're doing today, because he's too busy thinking about himself. And a self-absorbed driver who gets in a fender bender might rush to see if her car is scratched rather than checking to make sure her passenger is okay. Self-absorbed dates from the late 18th century, from self and absorbed, "engrossed mentally."

Example Sentences

In 2016’s The Mandibles, she created a character whom she described as a “pure piss-take” of herself: belligerent, tactless, a maniacal exerciser–the Ur-Boomer, utterly self-absorbed and an unalloyed financial disaster for society.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

"We will no longer be an isolated country, a country that is self-absorbed and acts solely out of political necessity."

From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025

By Alan, of course, he is referring to his much-loved and often quoted comedy creation, Alan Partridge - the tactless, self-absorbed and self-styled presenter.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2025

Marnie’s so self-absorbed that she doesn’t realize how mortifying this little show is, or how obvious it is that she’s using the event for clout.

From Salon • Jul. 1, 2025

Oppenheimer in particular had evolved; he no longer was the aloof, self-absorbed intellectual who had gone off to Los Alamos anxious to prove himself in the world beyond theoretical physics.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• egotistical
• narcissistic