← Back to Fala2Me

act selfishly

[/ækt ˈsɛlfɪʃli/]
verb phrase
agir egoistamente
1. to behave in a way that prioritizes one's own interests and desires without consideration for others
He decided to act selfishly and kept all the profits for himself.
Ele decidiu agir egoistamente e ficou com todos os lucros para si mesmo.
2. to make decisions or take actions based solely on personal gain or benefit
She acted selfishly by refusing to help her friend in need.
Ela agiu egoistamente ao recusar ajudar sua amiga que precisava.
NYC Slang
look out for number one
Synonyms
be self-centeredact greedilyput oneself firstact with self-interestbe inconsiderate
Antonyms
act altruisticallybe generousbe considerateput others firstact selflessly

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
agir egoistamente
standard usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
agir de forma egoísta
alternative construction commonly used
São Paulo
agir por interesse próprio
emphasizes personal interest over selfishness
Portugal
agir de forma egoísta
standard European Portuguese usage

Related Idioms & Phrases

put oneself first
look after number one
have an eye to the main chance
each to their own
dog eat dog
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →