self-effacing
adjective
self-ef·fac·ing
ˌself-i-ˈfā-siŋ 
-e-
: having or showing a tendency to make oneself modestly or shyly inconspicuous
His passions and faith run soul-deep, his gentle wit is always self-effacing and never insulting …—
Don Gaetz
Don Gaetz… she was an extremely self-effacing, private person who never sought the limelight and did not leave the usual artifacts that enable a biographer to reconstruct life patterns.—Douglas R. McManis
Douglas R. McManisSynonyms
Examples of self-effacing in a Sentence
he's dating a sweet, self-effacing girl
Recent Examples on the Web
On the trail, this involves a delicate pairing of self-effacing anecdote and grand proclamation.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
Our self-effacing narrator is Victor (Mouret regular Vincent Macaigne), the schlubby, doting husband of high-school English teacher Joan (India Hair), who is beginning to feel stifled by his unwavering devotion.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024
Where once drunkenness for the sake of drunkenness among women was framed as unladylike (and therefore to do so could be seen as a feminist statement), our attitudes to drinking have taken on a far more self-effacing, joking tone.
—Sadhbh O'Sullivan, refinery29.com, 12 Oct. 2019
Such inconsistencies are papered over with enthusiastic praise of what Mordaunt believes to be the eternally courageous, generous, resourceful, and self-effacing virtues of the British people.
—Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for self-effacing 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
Our self-effacing narrator is Victor (Mouret regular Vincent Macaigne), the schlubby, doting husband of high-school English teacher Joan (India Hair), who is beginning to feel stifled by his unwavering devotion.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024
Where once drunkenness for the sake of drunkenness among women was framed as unladylike (and therefore to do so could be seen as a feminist statement), our attitudes to drinking have taken on a far more self-effacing, joking tone.
—Sadhbh O'Sullivan, refinery29.com, 12 Oct. 2019
Such inconsistencies are papered over with enthusiastic praise of what Mordaunt believes to be the eternally courageous, generous, resourceful, and self-effacing virtues of the British people.
—Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for self-effacing
Articles Related to self-effacing
Dictionary Entries Near self-effacing
Cite this Entry
“Self-effacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-effacing. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share