self-disparagement
A person's constant self-disparagement can be a barrier to their own success.
Definition
- Noun:
- The act of belittling or undervaluing oneself: "self-disparagement" refers to speech or behaviour that criticizes, diminishes, or expresses a low opinion of one's own abilities, worth, or achievements.
Usage Examples
- (His habit of speaking negatively about himself.)
- (She made jokes that reduced her own value.)
- (Criticizing oneself excessively may indicate poor self-worth.)
Advanced Usage
- "to engage in self-disparagement": to actively speak or act in a way that belittles oneself.
- In the interview, he engaged in self-disparagement, downplaying his qualifications. (He minimized his own skills.)
- "self-disparaging remarks": comments that criticize or mock oneself.
- Her self-disparaging remarks about her cooking were not meant to be taken seriously. (She joked about her own cooking skills.)
Variants and Related Words
- Self-disparaging (adj): tending to criticize or belittle oneself.
- His self-disparaging tone suggested he lacked confidence. (His tone showed he undervalued himself.)
- Self-dispraise (n): a synonym for self-disparagement; the act of praising oneself negatively.
- Self-dispraise is often used in modesty but can be counterproductive. (Speaking poorly of oneself.)
Synonyms
- Self-deprecation: the act of expressing disapproval of oneself, often in a humorous way.
- Self-criticism: the act of pointing out one’s own faults or shortcomings.
- Self-belittlement: the act of making oneself seem less important or valuable.
Related Idioms
- "To sell oneself short": to undervalue one’s own abilities or achievements.
- Don't sell yourself short — you are more talented than you think. (Don’t disparage your own talents.)
- "To put oneself down": to speak negatively about oneself.
- She always puts herself down, even when she does well. (She engages in self-disparagement.)