Mimophant

//ˈmɪməfənt// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A person with extreme social self-centered double standards, especially about personal feelings. uncommon

    "Sunday, 16th June [1985]...Nico has invented a portmanteau word which applies to people like Garrett and Derek Hill, who are keenly sensitive about their own feelings while treading on the toes of others. It is ‘mimophant’. The mimosa is reputed to curl up when touched; the elephant - well!"

Example

More examples

"Sunday, 16th June [1985]...Nico has invented a portmanteau word which applies to people like Garrett and Derek Hill, who are keenly sensitive about their own feelings while treading on the toes of others. It is ‘mimophant’. The mimosa is reputed to curl up when touched; the elephant - well!"

Etymology

Blend of mimosa + elephant, coined by Arthur Koestler in 1972.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.