Egotist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Someone who has an inflated sense of their own importance and constantly focuses on themselves
2. A person who is excessively self-centered and often ignores others' opinions
3. An individual characterized by an overly proud attitude and a strong focus on their own achievements

Etymology: "Egotist" is "ego" with an extra "t" slipped in, plus the suffix "-ist" meaning someone who practises or adheres to something. The "t" is there to smooth the join: "ego" ends in a vowel and "-ist" begins with one, so the two vowels would otherwise sit awkwardly side by side. It is a pattern English shares with words like "dramatist" and "epigrammatist," where the same "-t-" appears in the same position. The root is the Latin pronoun "ego," meaning "I." Writers using "ego" in English have long used the Latin word itself for the self, so "egotist" built on it is a person defined by a preoccupation with "I." The term's first sense was closely tied to talking about oneself, and the modern meaning of an inflated sense of self-importance grew out of that habit of self-reference.

Synonyms: narcissist, self-centered person

Antonyms: altruist, selfless person