self-criticism

noun

self-crit·​i·​cism ˌself-ˈkri-tə-ˌsi-zəm 

plural self-criticisms

: the act of or capacity for criticizing one's own faults or shortcomings

To impress friends and potential employers, avoid complimenting yourself and trying to disguise it as self-criticism.

—Shana Lebowitz

… he's learned discipline, beneficial self-criticism … and the ability to develop a regimen in his day-to-day life.

—Hillary Gavan

Examples of self-criticism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Central Bank head Nabiullina is downplaying the risks because acknowledging them openly would be tantamount to self-criticism, given that her tight monetary policy has been the most important factor behind the recent slowdown. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025

On one occasion in 1958, Zhou, after an excruciating self-criticism that lasted several hours, plaintively admitted to Xi that Mao had criticized him once again. —Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025

Instead of harsh self-criticism, self-compassion encourages a recognition that everyone hurts sometimes and that imperfection is part of the human experience. —Ellen Choi, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025

What used to be a politics of tolerance and inclusion is now seen—often rightly—as obsessed with identity, hypersensitive to offense, and incapable of self-criticism. —MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025

The data bears this out for leaders, for whom the implications of excessive self-criticism can be far reaching. —Ron Carucci, Harvard Business Review, 15 May 2025

If parents invalidate or criticize their child’s distress, that kid is more likely to react to a setback as an adult with self-criticism, rather than reflecting on what went wrong and trying to figure out the best way forward. —Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 7 May 2025

The sincerity keeps flowing through a vulnerable therapy discussion, where contestants candidly address jealousy, self-criticism, and repressed anger. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 May 2025

What is the responsibility of the left critic for self-criticism? —Arielle Angel, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-criticism

• activism
• ageism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism