as in selfish
overly concerned with one's own desires, needs, or interests
she's just another self-serving politician who puts her own ambitions above the public good
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of self-serving
The lawsuit states that Kuka has singlehandedly caused irreparable harm to Boca View by refusing to abide by Florida law and the association’s own bylaws in order to further her self-serving agenda.
—
Nicole R. Kurtz,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2026
Elmosnino is an amusing villain, making his most self-serving machinations sound reasonable.
—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
To reject any anomaly, anything mysterious or unusual, Kawamura suggests, is to succumb to a soul-crushing, self-serving conformity—and to withhold possibilities of decency, discovery, and love that make any game worth playing, life very much included.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
In the original fairytale, the stepmother is portrayed as cold, self-serving and wicked, but Hochhauser recognized and uplifted a different version of the character.
—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Yet, some are sticking with this self-serving loser.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
The vigilantes who hanged her were self-serving cattlemen.
—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
But the truth is that none of Monica’s parodic elements would matter that much if the music felt like a genuine experiment rather than a self-serving, big-budget attempt to deepen his image.
—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
17 Mar. 2026
Anybody so certain of anything — except maybe that the markets will be open for trading tomorrow — is acting out of their own self-serving interests to drive fear and gain more attention.
—
Todd Gordon,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Nicole R. Kurtz,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2026
Elmosnino is an amusing villain, making his most self-serving machinations sound reasonable.
—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
To reject any anomaly, anything mysterious or unusual, Kawamura suggests, is to succumb to a soul-crushing, self-serving conformity—and to withhold possibilities of decency, discovery, and love that make any game worth playing, life very much included.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
In the original fairytale, the stepmother is portrayed as cold, self-serving and wicked, but Hochhauser recognized and uplifted a different version of the character.
—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Yet, some are sticking with this self-serving loser.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
The vigilantes who hanged her were self-serving cattlemen.
—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
But the truth is that none of Monica’s parodic elements would matter that much if the music felt like a genuine experiment rather than a self-serving, big-budget attempt to deepen his image.
—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
17 Mar. 2026
Anybody so certain of anything — except maybe that the markets will be open for trading tomorrow — is acting out of their own self-serving interests to drive fear and gain more attention.
—
Todd Gordon,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-serving
selfish
Adjective
-
Across 15 tracks, the rapper and producer get to work making their first proper body of work together as memorable as expected, delving into relationship mishaps, selfish tendencies, and the absurdist comedy that is real life.
-
Politics, Lander said, didn’t have to be a selfish endeavor driven by ego.
Cite this Entry
“Self-serving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-serving. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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