Dictionary

self-effacing en · ADJ

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English effacing English self-effacing From self- + effacing.

Meanings

1. Shy, extremely humble and modest; making oneself seem unnoticeable.
   • […] When asked about this, Muldoon's self-effacing response is: “I don't think so!” 2001 May 12, Robert Potts, quoting Paul Muldoon, “The poet at play”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 13 Feb 2021:
   • Clark Kent's self-effacing behavior is to purposefully make people ignore him.
   • I'm sorry if I seem self-effacing / Consumed by selfish thoughts / It's only that I still love you deeply / It's all the love I got 2010, “Age of Adz”, in The Age of Adz, performed by Sufjan Stevens:
   • His personality was also extremely endearing, his interviews were very self-effacing (and), he came over as gentle and was generous in his praise of others. 2007 January 3, Ian Gillan, “DEEP PURPLE Frontman: ELVIS PRESLEY 'Was The Greatest Singer That Ever Lived'”, in blabbermouth.net, archived from the original on 21 Sep 2020:

Forms

Deriveds

self-effacingness · self-effacingly

Translations (24)

fi nöyrä (extremely humble and modest) · it introverso (extremely humble and modest) · it pavido (extremely humble and modest) · de schüchtern (extremely humble and modest) · de sanft (extremely humble and modest) · de bescheiden (extremely humble and modest) · sv självutplånande (extremely humble and modest) · de zurückhaltend (extremely humble and modest) · de zaghaft (extremely humble and modest) · it timido (extremely humble and modest) · de sanftmütig (extremely humble and modest) · it schivo (extremely humble and modest) · mi hūnguengue (extremely humble and modest) · sh samozatajan (extremely humble and modest) · mi whakapāpaku (extremely humble and modest) · fi vaatimaton (extremely humble and modest) · mi whakamōwai (extremely humble and modest) · fi huomaamaton (extremely humble and modest) · ru держа́щийся в тени́ (extremely humble and modest) · de still (extremely humble and modest) · de demütig (extremely humble and modest) · mi tāharahara (extremely humble and modest) · ru скро́мный (extremely humble and modest) · pl skromny (extremely humble and modest)