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self-effacing
adjective
self-ef·fac·ing
ËŒself-i-Ë?fÄ?-siÅ‹
-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
… 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
Synonyms
Examples of self-effacing in a Sentence
he's dating a sweet, self-effacing girl
Recent Examples on the Web
Cher is a bracing read, peppered with caustic quips and self-effacing anecdotes, but fundamentally frank.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2024
With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to dive fully into any character, Paul was perfect for the part.
—
Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 18 Nov. 2024
An… The Brink of Peace: The Israeli-Syrian Negotiations An informed, thoughtful, and refreshingly self-effacing insider's study of a four-year negotiation.
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Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
From the premiere stage, Hoult recalled his excitement at discovering Eastwood wanted him for the film’s central role but also the director’s self-effacing dig at his own advancing age.
—
Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1854, in the meaning defined above
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 15 Dec. 2024.
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