Sometimes in life, you’ll meet people who seem incapable of paying attention to or giving care to anyone but themselves. Because this is a really common kind of person, this article will provide you with several different words you can use to refer to these kinds of people.
The best words for someone who only cares about themselves are “selfish”, “egotistical” and “self-important”. All three of these terms are great and widespread ways to refer to someone who doesn’t really care about any other people, so no one will be confused when you use them.
1. Selfish
“Selfish” is perhaps the best term to refer to someone who only cares about themselves. When you use “selfish”, you’re literally saying that the person only cares about themselves, and so it’s the most fitting word to use to refer to those people. It’s also the most popular term.
If you say that someone is “selfish”, your audience will instantly understand that the person you’re referring to only cares about themselves. This makes it a very efficient word to use in conversation.
The next time you have to talk about someone who only cares about themselves, you know that using “selfish” is going to instantly convey what that person is like to other people.
Here are a couple of example sentences that will help teach you how to use “selfish” in your sentences:
- He’s a really selfish guy, I’ve never seen him help anyone else out in all the years I’ve known him.
- You’re really selfish, and you don’t actually care about other people at all, I’m sorry.
2. Egotistical
Whenever someone has a really large ego, and they therefore think that no one else is worth caring about, they are a very “egotistical” person. This is a great term to use to refer to people who only care about themselves, and therefore it’s definitely worth memorizing.
Someone is “egotistical” if they never go out of their way to offer assistance to other people, and if they don’t take other people’s opinions seriously because they believe that they’re always right.
These example sentences are going to help you understand how you can use “egotistical” in your life:
- You really have to stop being such an egotistical person because it’s easily your worst trait.
- They’re all really egotistical people, so they wouldn’t help anyone else but them.
3. Self-important
If someone is described as “self-important”, that means that they literally give themselves too much importance. Therefore, they will not help other people out, and they probably won’t take other people’s perspectives seriously, because they consider their own opinions to be more important than other people’s.
Being described as “self-important” means that whomever is describing you as such believes that you are a person who overrates their own importance and the importance of their own opinions.
“Self-important” people believe that they are inherently more valuable than other people, and that because of this fact they should be taken in higher regard than regular people. It’s not a positive adjective at all.
Here are a couple of example sentences showcasing how to use “self-important” in your own sentences:
- You’re so self-important that I’m surprised you even showed up to today’s meeting at all.
- He’s such a self-important guy, you can’t really have a proper discussion with him about life.
4. Self-centered
Whenever someone is described as “self-centered”, that means that they consider themselves to be the center of the world, and that they are important. This person believes, figuratively, that the world revolves around them, and that they are more important than everyone else because of this fact.
Being described as “self-centered” is a really negative thing, naturally. This means that this term is useful to describe anyone who only cares about themselves and not other people.
Here are some examples that will teach you how you can use “self-centered” to refer to other people:
- She has to learn to be less self-centered, because it’s not a positive trait at all to be like she is.
- If he was a less self-centered guy I think he’d be a lot of fun to be around, but he’s just a pain.
5. Narcissistic
Someone who is “narcissistic” is someone who gives too much importance to their own opinions and perspectives, while devaluing everyone else’s. For the narcissist, their own experiences are always going to be more valid than anyone else’s. It’s a good word to refer to someone who only cares about themselves.
Whenever someone is described as “narcissistic”, you can bet that they are a person without a lot of empathy, meaning that they are unable to figuratively put themselves in anyone else’s shoes.
It’s hard to get along with people who are “narcissistic”, because they will always devalue your perspectives and make you feel like they don’t matter at all.
These two example sentences will teach you how to describe someone as “narcissistic” in a sentence:
- He’s really narcissistic so you’re going to have to tread lightly around him in meetings.
- She’s a narcissistic person so I don’t think she’d ever value your opinion like she values her own.
6. Self-absorbed
Someone who is “self-absorbed” is too focused on themselves to be able to give anyone else proper credit for their ideas. Therefore, they will only consider their own opinions to be valuable in any given conversation. “Self-absorbed” is a great word to describe someone who only cares about themselves.
People who are “self-absorbed” are all really really rude, because they are quite literally unable to consider how their own actions impact other people.
These example sentences are a great way to learn to use “self-absorbed” in a sentence:
- They’re a self-absorbed organization, so they will not accept any outside help at all.
- You’re a self-absorbed guy, and it makes it really hard to actually be your friend in general.
7. Self-serving
Whenever someone is described as “self-serving”, that means that all of their actions are done in service of themselves. This adjective quite literally means that the person doesn’t do anything for other people, and all of their actions are for their own personal benefit every single time.
If someone’s considered to be “self-serving”, then the odds are that they are someone who only cares about themselves, as they don’t do anything to help other people, ever.
Here are a couple of example sentences that will show you how you can use “self-serving” in sentences:
- She’s really self-serving, I’ve actually never seen her help anyone else in any capacity.
- First of all, you really have to learn to be less self-serving, or you won’t get anywhere.
8. Egocentric
If someone is considered to be “egocentric”, that means that their own world circles around their own ego. This means that they are unlikely to be charitable to other people, as they always consider themselves to be the most important and valuable person around.
If someone only cares about themselves, then they are unarguably an “egocentric” person, as this is the exact trait that makes them act that way in the first place.
Someone being “egocentric” is basically always a very negative trait, as people use it pejoratively to talk about someone who is really selfish and self-centered.
These examples do a good job of showcasing how you could potentially use the word “egocentric”:
- She’s an egocentric person, so no matter what you do she will not even lend you an ear.
- He’s an egocentric guy, and always has been, so you should adjust your expectations.
9. Conceited
Someone who is “conceited” is someone who is considered to be proud of themselves to a degree that is considered unhealthy and excessive. Therefore, if someone is “conceited”, then they’re likely to be someone who only cares about themselves and no one else in any given situation.
The term “conceited” is interesting because it’s often associated with the idea of vanity, and someone who places too much importance on their own appearance. It’s about caring about yourself and your own opinions.
Here are a few example sentences that incorporate the term “conceited” into their structure with ease:
- He’s so conceited that I don’t think you could ever make him think that he’s wrong.
- Learning to be less conceited has been an entire process, but I feel like a healthier person.
10. Unempathetic
Someone who is “unempathetic” is someone who, literally, has no empathy. This means that they are incapable of properly considering other people’s opinions, perspectives and life experiences. Therefore, they are a very self-centered person who is not going to pay attention to anyone else.
Being unempathetic means that you cannot even consider the fact that someone else might be right and you might be wrong, because it doesn’t make any sense with your view of the world.
These example sentences will do a solid job of showcasing the proper use of this term in context:
- She’s so unempathetic and I have a really tough time properly engaging with her.
- You have to be less unempathetic and actually learn to interact with different people.