as in diffident
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Recent Examples of self-critical
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
Brown, intensely studious and both self-confident and self-critical, no longer looks like someone who is thinking through four different possibilities, trying to fit into the scheme, before acting on the field.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
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
Brown, intensely studious and both self-confident and self-critical, no longer looks like someone who is thinking through four different possibilities, trying to fit into the scheme, before acting on the field.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-critical
Adjective
-
This small, diffident moment is one more reason to mourn his death.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
22 Dec. 2025
-
In the new film Hot Milk, the sensual but diffident 20-something Sofia (Emma Mackey) travels with her invalid mother, Rose (Fiona Shaw), to the Mediterranean shores of Spain in search of an experimental cure for the latter’s (possibly hypochondriac) illness.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
The result is a five-man starting lineup that, together, navigated ups and downs, expectations and adversity, to become the kind of egoless, cohesive force this Knicks franchise hadn’t seen in five decades.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
-
That team featured players who cut, moved, shot, and hit the open man with an egoless ease.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Francesca, smaller and more timid than her siblings, was often bullied.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Nov. 2025
-
Skenes’ reaction last year was very timid while Dunne was extremely cheerful.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
13 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The sculptural details transform the humble dot into a true statement, proving that minimalist inspiration can still deliver maximum impact.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
12 June 2026
-
Bundchen remains humble about her journey and believes that’s partially why her career was able to reach such heights.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Avoiding is unassertive and uncooperative, where an individual tends to give up on their own needs and acquiesce to the desires of others by disengaging from the situation altogether.—
Ellen Choi,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Over 90 minutes, Messi was unusually unassertive: 32 touches, his lowest number internationally for 13 years.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
5 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Self-critical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-critical. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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