as in selfness
excessive interest in oneself
a singer-songwriter whose compositions are too often exercises in self-important navel-gazing
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Recent Examples of navel-gazing
Ortberg urged staff to focus on beating its French planemaker competitor Airbus instead of navel-gazing at its own issues.
—
Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
In the end, this leads to a novel that might be Murakami’s most navel-gazing work, and one that has the unmistakable feel of a coda.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
If the idea of a deep dive into the pop-culture Zeitgeist of Obama’s presidency feels like an exhausting amount of navel-gazing, well, nothing could be more true to the spirit of the time.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2024
That deserves far more digital ink to be spilled than the usual navel-gazing about how iPhones are boring.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
As for the airport tray aesthetic, while people might be getting het up at the idea of Gen Z holding up the line for some navel-gazing, the US Transport Security Administration is sanguine about the risk.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 8 Sep. 2024
Plenty of people saw these films, and their teeth were set on edge by the cultural homogeneity, the navel-gazing conversations, the unremarkable visual palate, or the nonchalant performances contained therein.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
This persistent reliance on navel-gazing is annoying, and with everything being so on the surface, there’s no urgency whatsoever to the story.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 23 July 2024
The calamitous results of this year’s European Parliamentary elections for Macron and Scholz could result in a prolonged period of French and German navel-gazing—and hence a lack of progress on many EU priorities.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2024
Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
In the end, this leads to a novel that might be Murakami’s most navel-gazing work, and one that has the unmistakable feel of a coda.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
If the idea of a deep dive into the pop-culture Zeitgeist of Obama’s presidency feels like an exhausting amount of navel-gazing, well, nothing could be more true to the spirit of the time.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2024
That deserves far more digital ink to be spilled than the usual navel-gazing about how iPhones are boring.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
As for the airport tray aesthetic, while people might be getting het up at the idea of Gen Z holding up the line for some navel-gazing, the US Transport Security Administration is sanguine about the risk.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 8 Sep. 2024
Plenty of people saw these films, and their teeth were set on edge by the cultural homogeneity, the navel-gazing conversations, the unremarkable visual palate, or the nonchalant performances contained therein.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
This persistent reliance on navel-gazing is annoying, and with everything being so on the surface, there’s no urgency whatsoever to the story.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 23 July 2024
The calamitous results of this year’s European Parliamentary elections for Macron and Scholz could result in a prolonged period of French and German navel-gazing—and hence a lack of progress on many EU priorities.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for navel-gazing
Noun
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Like The Substance, there’s a vein of selfishness born from societal powerlessness underpinning the film, here focusing on the unique clash of ultra-modernity and traditionalism experienced in China and Hong Kong at the dawn of the new millennium.Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
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Some prosecutors vehemently oppose the claim and say the brothers are spinning a tale to hide their greed and selfishness.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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In the primary bedroom, which opens to a patio, wood floors lead to an bathroom with a spacious vanity, free-standing tub, and separate rain shower.Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2024
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Scroll to give your vanity the Mrs. Bieber treatment at a discount as the holiday weekend approaches.AnaMaria Glavan, Allure, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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So, a narcissistic parent is at its core someone who has a narcissistic personality disorder or is affected by narcissism, and in turn projects that onto their children, because they are threatened by their children's growing independence.Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
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Additionally, a 2020 study published in PLOS ONE found that narcissism is associated with lower relationship satisfaction, which in turn is associated with intentions towards infidelity.Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
Noun
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That sense of fun, and ego for its own sake, is the show’s go-to, with Pennette and company eschewing deeper meaning or morality in its cynical storytelling.Frank Rizzo, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
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The ego is responsible for your mindsets, beliefs, impulses and reactions.Christie Garcia, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
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This self-absorption can lead to anxiety, research suggests, which prevents people from reaching out in the first place out of a fear of rejection.Allie Volpe, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
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Her self-absorption at this critical juncture is exactly what Julien needed to hear to feel free to abandon ship.Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2024
Noun
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Too often, his method isn’t nearly as subtle or searching, and this, combined with a reflexive self-involvement, tends to rob The Message of truly resonant insight in both Senegal and Israel.Daniel Bergner, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2024
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The characters’ identities are just a medium for exposing their self-involvement.TIME, TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near navel-gazing
Cite this Entry
“Navel-gazing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navel-gazing. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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