selfish
gb/sˈɛlfɪʃ/ us/sˈɛlfɪʃ/
B1
English
~ 3800
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
Concerned only with oneself
Thinking only about yourself and not about other people.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is selfish
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'selfish' with 'self-confident'. 'Selfish' is negative and means caring only about yourself, while 'self-confident' is generally positive and means believing in yourself.
Synonyms
self-centered (Focuses on oneself and one's own affairs, often without caring about others.)
|
egotistical (Has an exaggerated sense of self-importance; stronger negative tone than 'selfish'.)
Antonyms
generous (Willing to give and share with others, opposite of keeping everything for oneself.)
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selfless (Putting the needs of others before your own.)
Collocations
selfish behavior
|selfish attitude
|selfish reasons
|selfish person
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It was selfish of him to take all the credit for the project.
- She felt her brother was being selfish when he refused to share his snacks.
- Leaving the team in the middle of a crisis seemed selfish to everyone involved.
- He's too selfish to think about how his actions affect others.
Learner examples
- It is selfish to take all the food.
- My friend was selfish and did not help.
- She is selfish because she only thinks about herself.
- He was selfish when he did not share his toys.
Grammar
Dictionary form
selfish
IPA
GB/sˈɛlfɪʃ/
US/sˈɛlfɪʃ/
Syllables & stress
selfish (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (selfish)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: selfish
Word family
Core family
selfishness
noun B2
selfishly
adverb
Related words
self
noun B1
Expressions
selfish reasons
1/sˈɛlfɪʃ ɹˈizənz/
fixed phrase
Motives for personal benefit only
Reasons that are only about what you want, not about helping others.
Examples
- He volunteered for purely selfish reasons.
- She admitted she had selfish reasons for wanting the promotion.
selfish streak
1/sˈɛlfɪʃ stɹˈik/
fixed phrase
A tendency to act selfishly
A part of someone's character that sometimes makes them act without thinking about others.
Examples
- He has a selfish streak that shows when money is involved.
- Her selfish streak came out when she refused to help her coworkers.