Spanish word

egoísmo

Pronunciation

IPA/eɣoˈismo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounselfishness

Example

Su egoísmo lastima a los demás.

His selfishness hurts others.

Illustration for egoísmo (selfishness)

More examples

Sus decisiones se debían al egoísmo.

His decisions were due to selfishness.

Core concept

Someone putting their own needs before others.

Common phrases

  • mostrar egoísmo

    show selfishness

  • actos de egoísmo

    acts of selfishness

  • por egoísmo

    out of selfishness

Similar words

egoísta: Consistently puts personal advantage and comfort ahead of others' needs.
interés propio: Guides choices by concern for personal gain and convenience.
codicia: Drives an intense, insatiable urge to acquire and hoard money or possessions.
egocentrismo: Centers perception and judgment on oneself, paying little attention to others' feelings.

Definition in Spanish

Actitud o tendencia a anteponer los propios intereses, deseos o beneficios frente a los de otras personas.

Word origin

From Latin ego 'I' plus the suffix -ismo, a noun-forming ending that created a term for the tendency to put oneself first.

Usage tips

  • Directly calling someone egoísta often provokes defensiveness, so speakers frequently describe the behavior or explain the reasons behind it.

Other meanings

  • egoismnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • egoístaselfishadjective
  • egoístamenteselfishlyadverb

Word lists with this word