self-effacing

British  

adjective

1. tending to make oneself, one's actions, etc, inconspicuous, esp because of humility or timidity; modest

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-effacingly
  adverb

Explanation

Someone who's self-effacing is shy and likes to stay out of the spotlight, shunning attention and praise. To efface something is to erase it, so to be self-effacing is to try to remove yourself from various situations, especially ones that draw attention. If someone says you did a great job and you say, "It was nothing," that's self-effacing. It is usually considered a positive quality, since it's the opposite of being cocky, egotistical, and attention-hogging. The root of effacing is the Old French word esfacier, which means "to wipe out or destroy," literally "to remove the face."

Example Sentences

Whatever his intention with this self-effacing and possibly insulting answer, Mr. Newsom seemed unschooled in the dialogue of politics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

"He's very self-effacing about it - I think that he just knew he was not cut out for it," he says.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

In the pilot, she is insecure and self-effacing; when a car almost runs her over, she apologizes to the driver.

From Salon • Dec. 15, 2025

When Harris acted the way that vice presidents normally do — subservient, self-effacing, careful never to poach the spotlight from the chief executive — it was seen as a failing.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

The man he approached was Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, Jr. A dead ringer for actor Jimmy Stewart, Vanderbilt was a gangly twenty-five-year- old whose gentle, self-effacing manner belied his fabulous wealth.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

• coy
• discreet
• humble
• reticent
• unassuming
• unobtrusive
• unpretentious