humblebrag
verb
hum·ble·brag
ˈhəm-bəl-ˌbrag 
variants
or humble-brag
humblebragged or humble-bragged; humblebragging or humble-bragging
: to make a seemingly modest, self-critical, or casual statement or reference that is meant to draw attention to one's admirable or impressive qualities or achievements
People make themselves look smart, humble-bragging about reading what's billed as one of the 20th century's most difficult books.—
Mark Chiusano
Mark ChiusanoIn the study, college students were asked to write down how they'd answer a question about their biggest weakness in a job interview. Results showed that more than three-quarters of participants humblebragged, usually about being a perfectionist or working too hard.—Shana Leibowitz
Shana LeibowitzBeyond the angel's wings, there was preening and posing and fake modesty, perhaps best represented when he humblebragged to the audience that his "One Less Lonely Girl" choice had "come all the way from Sweden just to see me."—Ben Fisher
Ben Fisher
humblebrag
noun
or humble-brag
At times, the book comes off like a long, rolling humblebrag. Many sections begin with variations on "When I was 29 years old and running for Congress … " or "When I chaired the U.S. Ballistics Missile Threat Commission … ."
—Adam Sternbergh
Adam Sternbergh
Comedian and podcast host Marc Maron has so perfected the art of the humblebrag, even his TV alter ego jokes about how young his girlfriend is.
—Ray Rahman
Ray Rahman
Cite this Entry
“Humblebrag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humblebrag. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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