Word
narcissistic
Phoneticsnar·cis·sis·tic, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌnɑɹsɪˈsɪstɪk/
UK/nˌɑːsɪsˈɪstɪk/
Definition
adj. having too much interest in or admiration for yourself. It describes someone who thinks they are much more important or attractive than others.
adj. characterised by excessive self-admiration and a lack of empathy for others. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be' or 'become'.
Examples
“He is so narcissistic that he only talks about himself.”
“The manager's narcissistic behavior made it difficult for the team to share their own ideas or receive credit for their work.”
“While some degree of self-confidence is healthy, a truly narcissistic personality can be destructive to interpersonal relationships due to a constant need for external validation and a sense of entitlement.”
Examples
simple
“He is so narcissistic that he only talks about himself.”
contextual
“The manager's narcissistic behavior made it difficult for the team to share their own ideas or receive credit for their work.”
complex
“While some degree of self-confidence is healthy, a truly narcissistic personality can be destructive to interpersonal relationships due to a constant need for external validation and a sense of entitlement.”
Usage
Typically follows a linking verb or precedes the noun it modifies.
Pitfall
He has a narcissistic
He is narcissistic
Learners sometimes confuse the adjective 'narcissistic' with the noun 'narcissist'.
Real-World Examples
“The gothic novel appears with the early introduction of the monstrous Ilan de Toorjen Foss, a narcissistic artist who seduces Sonia, suppresses her literary endeavours and then abandons her.” “For example, a recent study found that "narcissistic leaders" often demand their workers return to the office simply to boost their ego.” Etymology
Narcissistic is the adjective that outlived the myth. It comes from Narcissus, a youth so beautiful that everyone who saw him fell in love and he returned none of it, treating the people who longed for him as so much scenery. When the nymph Echo reached for him he recoiled, and she wasted away to a voice; she was one of many he wounded without a second thought.
The gods answered his coldness with a punishment exactly its own size. Nemesis let him fall in love at last, but with something he could never hold. Coming hot from the hunt to a still, clear pool, he bent to drink and saw a face rise to meet him, and he wanted it instantly, never understanding that it was his own reflection.
He could not leave the water. He reached in and the image broke; he waited and it returned; he spoke and its lips moved without a sound. Hunger, thirst and the failing light meant nothing beside it, and he stayed on the bank until he simply wore away, and a pale flower was found in his place.
To call someone narcissistic is to name that turn of mind: so absorbed in their own image and their own worth that other people register mainly as a mirror, valued while the reflection flatters and forgotten the moment it does not.
Original etymology written by Shinotoshi Nakamura.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
Stories
Greek Mythology · See all Greek myth origin
Expressions the ancient Greek myths left in everyday English.
a Herculean task — A task requiring enormous strength, effort, or determination to complete.
a Pyrrhic victory — A win that costs so much it feels almost like a defeat.
a Sisyphean task — A task that is endless and futile, because it must be repeated forever without ever being finished.
Achilles' heel — A single hidden weakness in someone or something otherwise strong.
Ariadne's thread — A method or clue that guides you safely through a confusing, complicated problem.
atlas — a book of maps or a collection of charts; it can also refer to a specific bone in your neck or a figure from Greek mythology.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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