selfish
- 1Caring only about yourself and not about what other people need or want.
Like someone who pulls the whole blanket onto themselves and lets everyone else get cold.
It was selfish of him to take the last slice without asking anyone.
Don't be so selfish. Share the toys with your little sister.
Similarself-centered, egotistical, inconsiderate, greedy, self-absorbed
Oppositeunselfish, selfless, generous, altruistic
Note
- 2Making choices based on what is best for yourself.
Like always asking "What do I get out of it?" before you decide anything.
From a selfish point of view, taking the higher-paying job made perfect sense.
He made a selfish choice and picked the option that helped only him.
Similarself-interested, self-serving, egoistic
Oppositealtruistic, selfless, unselfish
Note
- 3Describing a gene or similar thing that exists to copy itself, not to help the body or group it is part of.
Scientists found a selfish piece of DNA that copies itself again and again inside the plant's cells.
A selfish gene can spread through a whole group of animals even if it gives them no help.
Note
- 4Describing a game character that works well on its own, without needing help from teammates.
Like a player who can score alone and never has to wait for a pass.
This hero is selfish, so you can win most fights without any backup.
Players like selfish characters because they do not depend on the rest of the team.
Note
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of selfish apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
Made from the word "self" plus the ending "-ish".