"selfish" in a Sentence — Examples for K-8

Three example sentences for selfish, written at K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 reading levels.

What does "selfish" mean?

selfish is an adjective that means: thinking only about yourself, not others. Seeing it in real sentences helps kids learn how the word actually behaves in writing.

Grade K–2Easy sentence with selfish

"Don't be selfish with toys."

Notice the short, simple structure — perfect for early readers learning to decode and understand new words.

Grade 3–5Upper-elementary sentence with selfish

"It can feel selfish to take the last slice, but sometimes it's actually okay."

This sentence adds more context and detail — typical of chapter books at this grade level.

Grade 6–8Middle-school sentence with selfish

"Saving your time to recharge isn't really selfish — it's how you stay good company for others."

At this level, selfish takes on subtler shades of meaning depending on context — the kind of nuance middle-schoolers need for essay writing.

How to use these sentences in the classroom

Sentence imitation — Read the example aloud, then have students write their own sentence with the same structure but a different topic.

Vocabulary notebooks — Have students copy the grade-appropriate sentence into their vocabulary journal alongside the definition.

Reading comprehension — Ask students to identify why selfish is the right word for that sentence — what would change if you swapped it for a synonym?

FAQ — using "selfish" in sentences

How do I use selfish in a sentence for a 1st grader?

Try: "Don't be selfish with toys." Keep it under 7 words and use sight-word vocabulary around it.

What's a more advanced sentence with selfish?

"Saving your time to recharge isn't really selfish — it's how you stay good company for others."

🦘 Try the live tool

Look up another word's example sentences.

Open Sentence Examples for selfish →