Dictionary

selfish en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• [ˈsɛɫ̥fɪʃ]
• (US) audio
• /ˈsɛl.fɪʃ/

Etymology

From self + -ish. Compare Danish selvisk (“selfish”), Swedish självisk (“selfish”).

Meanings

1. Holding one's own self-interest as the standard for decision making.
   • “We all have both a selfish separate self, and an Inner Being that is One with the Universal Spirit. In this sense, every human has a sort of ‘split personality’. We are all kind of what you call ‘schitzy’ with these two sides, these two people living within us. And they are in total opposition. The free will dictates which of these two sides will have its way in our life, at every given moment.” 1997, John Peniel, chapter 10, in The Children Of The Law Of One & The Lost Teachings Of Atlantis, page 127:
2. Having excessive or exclusive regard and concern for one's own well-being, profit or pleasure, with little or no consideration for others.
   • Take warning by my fate, and shun that flowery and bewitching path; for in its labyrinths the good, the gentle, the kind-hearted, and the benevolent, are too often lost; while the sordid and the selfish scarcely so much as run a hazard. 1823, James Hogg, “Peril First. Love. Circle Third.”, in The Three Perils of Woman; or, Love, Leasing, and Jealousy. […], volume I, London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, […], →OCLC, page 277:
   • "Our CEQA process is clearly broken when a few wealthy Berkeley homeowners can block desperately needed student housing for years and even decades," Newsom's office said in a statement. "California cannot afford to be held hostage by NIMBYs who weaponize CEQA to block student and affordable housing. This selfish mindset is driving up housing prices, and making our state less affordable." 2023 March 1, Aaron Kliegman, “Newsom declares war on environmentalists seeking to halt construction project”, in Fox News, archived from the original on 25 Apr 2023:
   • The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. […] Can those harmless but refined fellow-diners be the selfish cads whose gluttony and personal appearance so raised your contemptuous wrath on your arrival? 1921, Ben Travers, chapter V, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
3. Of video game characters: relying on their own actions and capabilities to be effective in the game, rather than on other characters.
   • With that said, there is a perk to Xiao being a selfish DPS. He plays like Razor where he needs to be out in the field more than 90 percent of the time. Compared to Diluc, Xiao is more independent when it comes to dealing damage. 2021 February 23, Sid Natividad, “Genshin Impact: 5 Ways Xiao Is The Best DPS (And 5 Ways It's Still Diluc)”, in TheGamer, archived from the original on 25 Jan 2024:
4. Related to or equivalent to a selfish gene; best understood as existing to preserve and replicate itself in competition with other entities at the same level of existence, rather than at the level of the individual or population containing it.
   • The "selfish meme" concept does not, of course, ascribe any consciousness or motivation to the meme; it simply means we can understand better by looking at evolution from the meme's point of view. 2011 February 15, Richard Brodie, Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme, Hay House, Inc, →ISBN, page 68:
   • Discoveries of selfish genetic elements often follow from the emergence of a selfish phenotype either in a cross between members of closely related species, or in crosses involving individuals from different isolated populations within a species. 2005, N.S. Sharma, Molecular Structure Of Genes And Chromosomes, Mittal Publications, →ISBN, page 215:
   • Through this hypothesized mechanism, a selfish virus would reduce the probability that other co-infecting genotypes contribute the expected share of their genes to the progeny. 2005 August 4, Robert Desharnais, Population Dynamics and Laboratory Ecology, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 321:

Forms

Antonyms

philanthropic · unselfish · self-denying · otherish · altruistic · self-abnegatory · self-flagellatory · otherish · self-abnegatory · self-sacrificing · selfless · unselfish · abstemious · selfless

Coordinates

hedonistic · greedy

Deriveds

hyperselfish · ultraselfish · selfishly · overselfish · selfish DNA · selfishness · selfish gene · superselfish · unselfishly

Hypernyms

immoral · egotistical · excessive · egotistic · full of oneself

Hyponyms

ultraselfish · overselfish · brattish · superselfish · stingy · hyperselfish · spoiled rotten · bratty · spoiled

Relateds

selfishness · self-serving

Synonyms

self-minded · selfish · porkish · interested · egoistical · egoistic · selfsome · self-centered · self-absorbed · selflike · idiocentric · greedy · self-interested · reptilian · solipsistic · egocentric · egotistical · self-seeking · every man for himself · self-centered · egotistic · individualistic · self-serving

Translations (125)

ga leithleach (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ja 勝手な (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · zza pekhil (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · tr bencil (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · nrf offrun (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · nl zelfzuchtig (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · tr egoist (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · de egozentrisch (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · nb selvisk (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ja 自分勝手な (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · hu egoista (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ko 자기 본위(自己本位)의 (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · sv självisk (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · nb egoistisk (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · lt savanaudis (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · bg себичен (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · gd fèineil (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · tr hodkâm (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · da egoistisk (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · be эгаісты́чны (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · mi kaiapo (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · pt egoísta (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · tr egoist (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ar أَنَانِيّ (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · hi स्वार्थी (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · sv självisk (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · bn স্বার্থপর (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ja 自分本位の (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · da egoistisk (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · eo memama (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · nrf offrun (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · fi itsekeskeinen (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · id egoistis (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · az xudbin (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · eo egoisma (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · pl samolubny (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · cs sobecký (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · uk егоїсти́чний (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · sk sebecký (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · zza pexil (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · es egoísta (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · es egoísta (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · bn স্বার্থপর (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · tr bencil (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · sk sebecký (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · mi tūmatarau (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · it egoista (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · id keaukuan (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ckb خۆ پەرِست (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · nn egoistisk (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · got 𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐍃 (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · eo egoisma (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ja 我が儘な (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · fi itsekäs (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · uk кори́сливий (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · nb egoistisk (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · bg егоистичен (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · it egoista (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ur خود غرض (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · tr hodbin (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · eo memama (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ro egoist (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · nb selvisk (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ru эгоисти́чный (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · vi ích kỷ (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · sv självcentrerad (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · tl makasarili (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · tr hodbin (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ko 자애적(自愛的)이다 (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · nn sjølvisk (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · fr égoïste (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · hu önző (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · pl egoistyczny (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · az xudbin (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · cs sobecký (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · da selvisk (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · lt savanaudis (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · da selvisk (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ga cóngarach duit féin (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · sa स्वार्थिन् (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · nl egoïstisch (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ky өзүмчүл (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · bg егоистичен (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ja わがままな (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · pt egoísta (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ja 身勝手な (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ga féineach (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ro egoist (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · de egoistisch (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ko 제멋대로 하다 (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · el εγωιστικός (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ca egoista (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · el εγωιστής (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ga leithleach (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · sh sebičan (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · pl samolubny (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · de selbstsüchtig (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · is sjálfhverfur (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · sv egoistisk (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · kk өзімшіл (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ko 이기적(利己的)이다 (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · cmn 自私 (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · id egoistis (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · gl egoísta (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · id keaukuan (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · nn egoistisk (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ja 利己的な (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · nn sjølvisk (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ca egoista (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · de egoistisch (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · yue 自私 (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · kea langon (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · it egoistico (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · gd fèineil (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · sa स्वार्थिन् (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · de egozentrisch (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · ml സ്വാർത്ഥ (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · hi मतलबी (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · de selbstsüchtig (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · fr égoïste (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · fi itsekäs (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · it egoistico (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making) · ru эгоисти́чный (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · fi itsekeskeinen (having regard for one's own well-being above that of others) · tr hodkâm (holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making)