3 syllables: Nar, cis, sist. Stress on Nar.
NAHR-sis-ist
/ˈnɑɹsɪsɪst/
Narcissist is pronounced NAHR-sis-ist (/ˈnɑɹsɪsɪst/). It has three syllables (Nar-cis-sist), with the stress on "Nar". Narcissist (noun): a person who is excessively self-absorbed, with a strong need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. In psychology, narcissism is a personality trait; a narcissist often seeks praise and may devalue others to protect their self-image. The term carries negative connotations and is commonly used in everyday critique of behavior.
nounNarcissist (noun): a person who is excessively self-absorbed, with a strong need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. In psychology, narcissism is a personality trait; a narcissist often seeks praise and may devalue others to protect their self-image. The term carries negative connotations and is commonly used in everyday critique of behavior.
"Her ex-boyfriend turned out to be a narcissist who craved constant attention."
"In the meeting, he played the narcissist, steering all praise toward himself."
"People described the politician as a narcissist after he doubled down on self-promotion."
Pronunciation: /nɑːˈsɪsɪst/ (US) or /nɑːˈsɪsɪst/ (UK/AU). Primary stress on the second syllable 'SIS'. Start with /n/ + /ɑː/ (open back unrounded vowel), then /ˈsɪ/ (short 'i' as in kit), then /sɪ/ again, and end with /st/ cluster. Lips neutral to slightly spread; tip of the tongue rises for /s/. You’ll hear a crisp /s/ before the /ɪ/ and final /st/ blend. Practice with audio references at Forvo or Pronounce to confirm the /ˈsɪs/ core.
Common mistakes: (1) Misplacing stress, saying /næˈrɪsɪst/ or /nɔːrˈsɪst/ with wrong syllable emphasis. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable: /nɑːˈsɪsɪst/; (2) Vowels conflated in the first two syllables, producing /nərˈsɪsɪst/ instead of /nɑːˈsɪsɪst/; ensure a broad /ɑː/ or /ɒ/ in the first syllable. (3) Final -ist cluster rushed: avoid /-ɪst/ as a single sound; pronounce /ɪst/ clearly after /s/. Look for a light kick of air on the /t/.
US tends to maintain strong /ɑː/ or /ɑ/ in the first syllable with clear /ˈsɪs/; UK often has a longer /ɑː/ and non-rhoticity, so /nɑːˈsɪsɪst/ with slight r-sound absence; Australian generally follows non-rhotic pattern like UK, but vowel quality is broader; the stressed syllable remains /ˈsɪs/ in most accents. Overall, the vowel duration and the rhotacization are minimal differences; main variation lies in the first syllable vowel length and rhoticity in connected speech.
Key challenges: (1) The sequence /ɑː/ → /ˈnæs/ can be unfamiliar if you expect a hard 'a' sound; ensure a clear open back vowel before the stressed /ˈsɪs/; (2) The three-syllable structure with two /s/ clusters around /ɪ/ requires careful timing to avoid slurring; (3) The final /st/ cluster often borrows a light aspirated release; practice end-blast to avoid a clipped /st/.
A distinctive feature is the /ˈsɪs/ syllable cluster in the middle: ensure the /s/ sounds are crisp and not assimilated to a following /i/ or /t/. The 'nar-' prefix tends to be pronounced with an open back vowel; keep the tongue low and relaxed before the /ˈsɪs/ sequence to avoid a more centralized vowel. Paying attention to the mid-syllable /s/ helps avoid a mispronounced /ˈnærˌsɪst/.
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Narcissist derives from the Greek myth of Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection. The term entered English in the late 19th century via psychoanalytic usage, reflecting Narcissus’s self-admiration as a clinical narcissism trait. The root Narcissus relates to self-admiration (from Greek nárkissos), with the modern sense expanding beyond myth to describe a person who is excessively self-obsessed. Early usage tied more to myth and literature, but by the 1910s–1920s, psychology popularized narcissism as a personality trait, later culminating in the common noun narcissist. Over time, the term has acquired pejorative connotations in everyday speech, used to criticize vanity or manipulative self-regard in interpersonal relationships.
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Words that rhyme with "Narcissist"
-ist sounds
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