Narcissistic

mediumNegative tone

nar-sih-SIS-tik

adjective

Definition

Having an excessive interest in oneself and one's appearance

Memory hook

Named after NARCISSUS who stared at his own reflection until he died — obsessed with oneself.

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Word roots

Narcissusmythological youth who fell in love with his reflection(Greek)

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Examples

His narcissistic behavior alienated friends and family.
The narcissistic leader surrounded himself with admirers.

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Fill in the blank with the right word:

His ______ behavior alienated friends and family.
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narcissistic

Synonyms

egotisticalvainself-absorbedconceited

Antonyms

humblemodestselflessaltruistic

Categories

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GRE Tip

Narcissistic is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "egotistical" or "vain" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "humble".

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