self-critical
adjective
self-crit·i·cal
ˌself-ˈkri-ti-kəl 
: inclined to find fault with oneself : critical of oneself
a self-critical perfectionist
… helping patients identify and challenge pessimistic or self-critical thoughts that cause or perpetuate depression.—
Mary A. Whooley
Mary A. WhooleyExamples of self-critical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This is not about being hyper self-critical, by the way.
—Cynthia Pong, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
The comment comes as AWS prepares to publish what may be the most substantive piece of self-critical research to emerge from a major cloud provider this year.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 June 2026
Tolentino is at least self-critical.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Sensitive and self-critical at times, this zodiac sign is deeply aware of how others perceive them — qualities that mirror her portrayal of Cassie Howard.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
In another, a self-critical impulse takes hold, and what seemed good at first is suddenly embarrassing.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
And was obviously very talented and very intelligent to do so serious and self-critical work, which was really a breakthrough in this field.
—Mariel Carr, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026
Unafraid to be self-critical, Fosse crafts a shockingly complex portrait of an artist whose perfectionism drives him to the brink.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Jan. 2026
Hurts was notably self-critical of his performance in that game.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
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Cynthia Pong, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
The comment comes as AWS prepares to publish what may be the most substantive piece of self-critical research to emerge from a major cloud provider this year.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 June 2026
Tolentino is at least self-critical.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Sensitive and self-critical at times, this zodiac sign is deeply aware of how others perceive them — qualities that mirror her portrayal of Cassie Howard.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
In another, a self-critical impulse takes hold, and what seemed good at first is suddenly embarrassing.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
And was obviously very talented and very intelligent to do so serious and self-critical work, which was really a breakthrough in this field.
—Mariel Carr, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026
Unafraid to be self-critical, Fosse crafts a shockingly complex portrait of an artist whose perfectionism drives him to the brink.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Jan. 2026
Hurts was notably self-critical of his performance in that game.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-critical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-critical. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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