egomania
LowFormal, Clinical, Literary
Definition
Meaning
Obsessive focus on, preoccupation with, and inflated sense of one's own importance.
A psychological condition characterized by an extreme and pathological degree of self-centeredness, often manifesting as a compulsive need for admiration, lack of empathy, and a grandiose sense of self-worth.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Carries strong negative connotations. Not a formal clinical diagnosis in modern psychiatry, but used descriptively in psychology, literary criticism, and everyday language to denote extreme narcissism.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or definitional differences. Usage is comparable in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical strong negative connotations.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency and specialised in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[subject] exhibits/struggles with/suffers from egomania.His/Her egomania [verb phrase] (e.g., alienated everyone).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Drunk on his own ego”
- “The world revolves around him/her”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used critically to describe a CEO or leader whose self-focus harms the company culture.
Academic
Used in psychology, sociology, and literary studies to analyse personality or character traits.
Everyday
Used as a strong pejorative to criticise someone perceived as unbearably self-obsessed.
Technical
A descriptive, non-diagnostic term in psychoanalytic or personality psychology discussions.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- egomaniacal behaviour
- his egomaniacal tendencies
American English
- an egomaniacal boss
- her egomaniacal rant
Examples
By CEFR Level
- His constant selfies showed more than vanity; it was like egomania.
- She never listens to others—it's pure egomania.
- The director's egomania made collaboration on the film impossible.
- His political campaign was derailed by accusations of egomania and a lack of empathy.
- The biography revealed that the artist's celebrated genius was inextricably linked to a debilitating egomania.
- Critics argue that the company's toxic culture stems from the founder's clinical egomania, which filtered down through every management layer.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: EGO + MANIA. A *mania* (obsessive enthusiasm) for one's own *ego*.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE SELF IS A GOD (to be worshipped); SELF-LOVE IS A DISEASE/PATHOLOGY.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'мания величия' (megalomania), which is more specific to delusions of grandeur/power. 'Эгоистичность' (selfishness) is much weaker.
- Avoid direct calque 'эгомания' in casual speech; it sounds like a heavy borrowing.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'ego-mania' (hyphenated).
- Using it interchangeably with simple 'confidence'.
- Pronouncing as /ˈɛɡəʊmeɪnɪə/ (stress on first syllable).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the CLOSEST synonym for 'egomania' in a clinical context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Egomania' is a stronger, more extreme, and often more informal term suggesting a pathological obsession. 'Narcissism' is the broader clinical and psychological term, with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) being a formal diagnosis.
No, it is not a formal diagnostic category in manuals like the DSM-5. It is a descriptive term used in psychology and everyday language to denote an extreme, impairing level of self-obsession that may overlap with traits of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Almost never. It is a pejorative term implying an unhealthy and socially destructive degree of self-focus. One might jokingly refer to a confident performer's 'healthy egomania', but this is ironic.
The person is an 'egomaniac'. The related adjective is 'egomaniacal'.