self-effacement

noun

self-ef·​face·​ment ˌself-i-ˈfās-mənt 

-e-

plural self-effacements

: the placing or keeping of oneself in an inconspicuous role or position especially due to modesty or shyness

In his one-man show, satirist Robert Dubac takes aim at a culture that values the Kardashians more than character and ranks selfies over self-effacement.

—Judith Newmark

The polite self-effacement of his Midwestern upbringing came through …

—Jon Pareles

Examples of self-effacement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The onset of more organ soloing by Emmett over twin guitars is just the barrage needed to slam home the paranoia and loneliness in a song that alternates self-effacement with self-defensive allegations of gaslighting and abandonment. — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 July 2026

From wry self-effacement, the Screen Actors Guild has suddenly opted for self-erasure. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 28 Feb. 2026

There’s no music, there’s no laughter, there’s no self-effacement. — Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2025

But in Britain, expressions of self-confidence are often interpreted as arrogance, while self-effacement comes off as endearing and down-to-earth. — Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-effacement

• abasement
• debasement
• defacement
• displacement
• effacement
• emplacement
• encasement
• misplacement
• outplacement
• replacement
• basement
• placement