Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Not drawing attention to oneself; modest.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Shy, extremely humble and modest; making oneself seem unnoticeable.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective reluctant to draw attention to yourself

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Weingart stared straight ahead, his expression self-effacing, his hands resting on the spokes of his steering wheel.

    The Glass Rainbow James Lee Burke 2010

  • Weingart stared straight ahead, his expression self-effacing, his hands resting on the spokes of his steering wheel.

    The Glass Rainbow James Lee Burke 2010

  • Weingart stared straight ahead, his expression self-effacing, his hands resting on the spokes of his steering wheel.

    The Glass Rainbow James Lee Burke 2010

  • Weingart stared straight ahead, his expression self-effacing, his hands resting on the spokes of his steering wheel.

    The Glass Rainbow James Lee Burke 2010

  • Lily is a rather private person and has been described as self-effacing.

    HerScopes Charlene Lichtenstein 2000

  • Lily is a rather private person and has been described as self-effacing.

    HerScopes Charlene Lichtenstein 2000

  • Lily is a rather private person and has been described as self-effacing.

    HerScopes Charlene Lichtenstein 2000

  • This rabbi is too self-effacing and that one— good God!

    The Search Susan Kleinman 2011

  • Though self-effacing "It isn't my personality to be particularly proud of what I do" the composer seems to recognize his legacy as arguably the only living film composer with both classical credentials and name recognition among everyday moviegoers.

    The Last Movie Maestro John Jurgensen 2011

  • "We did not know about that," Kriemler says, in characteristically self-effacing fashion.

    The Discreet Charm of Akris Tina Gaudoin 2011

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