underbrag

un·der·brag
U1N1D2E1R1B3R1A1G2
UK/ˌʌn.dəˈbɹæɡ/US/ˌʌn.dɚˈbɹæɡ/

noun

A confident statement involving openly acknowledging shortcomings, demonstrating indifference to others' opinions.

First used 2012Scrabble 13

Meanings

noununderbrag (plural underbrags)

plural underbrags

  1. rareA confident statement involving openly acknowledging shortcomings, demonstrating indifference to others' opinions.First known use 2012

    The underbrag is social media's recent, cheeky response to the slightly less recent humblebrag,[…]

    2017, Christine Hoffmann, Stupid Humanism: Folly as Competence in Early Modern and Twenty-First-Century Culture, Springer International Publishing, page 129
    3 more examples

    But first, a refresher. The underbrag is a post-brag-brag, post-humblebrag form of bragging. It's the third wave, if you will. It is when you announce boisterously your mistakes and foibles, regardless of your fears of being judged, shamed, punished, or fired.[…]Ideally, the underbrag is also funny in a self-deprecating way, and possibly empowering, but never sad.

    2012 August 16, Jen Doll, “Lessons in Underbragging, the World's Best New Form of the Brag”, in The Atlantic Wire, archived from the original on 24 Apr 2024

    Sophisticated Facebook users perfect the art of the underbrag. Rather than tooting accomplishments, the underbragger manages to seen humble while still getting out the overall message, “Look at what I’m doing.” It is a question of tone.

    2013, Craig Detweiler, iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives, Baker Publishing Group, page 143

    So in doing that underbrag about going to the grocery store or getting your new driver's license, or whatever standard adult chore you have to do, you diminish the normality of your life by making it seem as though you're not succeeding otherwise.

    2017, Andy Boyle, Adulthood for Beginners: All the Life Secrets Nobody Bothered to Tell You, Penguin Publishing Group, page 241

Origin

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with underbrag

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Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

underbrag. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underbrag

MLA

“underbrag.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underbrag. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “underbrag,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underbrag.

Source: underbrag on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.