underbrag

English

Etymology

From under- +‎ brag, modeled after humblebrag.

Noun

underbrag (plural underbrags)

1. (rare) A confident statement involving openly acknowledging shortcomings, demonstrating indifference to others' opinions.
   • 2012 August 16, Jen Doll, “Lessons in Underbragging, the World's Best New Form of the Brag”, in The Atlantic Wire‎^[1], archived from the original on 2024-04-24:

     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.

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

     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.

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

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

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

     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.