humblebrag

What it means

A brag dressed up as a complaint or modest aside, where someone shows off while pretending they're being humble or even inconvenienced. Can also be used as a verb (to humblebrag about something).

Examples

• "Ugh so tired from my third vacation this month" — okay, humblebrag.
• Her caption was such a humblebrag, just say you're rich.
• Stop humblebragging about how busy your packed schedule is.
• "I can never find jeans that fit my tiny waist" is a humblebrag.

Where it comes from

Popularized by comedy writer Harris Wittels, who started a viral @humblebrag Twitter account in 2010 and later wrote a book on it; the word entered mainstream dictionaries by the mid-2010s.

Related slang