No one likes a bragger. What’s worse is someone who humble brags—they try to sound humble but really, they’re just asking for attention. Talk about annoying. Here are 15 humble brags that make people really offputting.
1. A humble brag that fishes for compliments.
Humble bragging can occur when someone uses faux humility to fish for compliments. So, for example, they’ll say something like, “I can’t believe I won an award for my writing. I’m not even that good!” The hope is that the other person will say, “No! You are!”
2. A humble brag that’s masked as a complaint.
It’s common for people who humble brag to pretend to complain about something that’s actually pretty neat. So, they might say, “I earned so much money this week [bragging comment] but now I have to pay so many debts [complaint]!” Here’s the world’s smallest violin.
3. A humble brag that’s about feeling superior to other people.
A person might want to get an ego stroke from whoever they’re talking to. So, they use a humble-brag statement to feel superior. For example, they might say, “I’m so busy with such a hectic workload, that I just don’t have time for anything else.” They might be pushing how busy they are so they seem more motivated or successful than others.
4. A humble brag that uses fake self-deprecation.
Some humble brags might be laced with fake self-deprecation. It seems like they’re putting themselves down, but they’re doing that to boast about something. For example, they might say, “I got dirt all over my Gucci shoes—I’m such an idiot!” Here, they’re bragging about the fact that their shoes are designer, but in a seemingly more down-to-earth way.
5. A humble brag that uses fake awkwardness or discomfort.
When someone wants to boast about the attention they get from others, they might pretend that they’re feeling awkward about it. Meanwhile, they love it. So, they might say, “Such a cute guy hit on me at the train station, and I felt so uncomfortable.” Why point out that the stranger was cute?
6. A humble brag that makes the person feel special.
Someone who humble brags wants people to see them as special, so they might throw in something that they feel sets them apart from others. You can just tell they’re dying to talk about it! For example, they might say, “Owning a holiday home is so hard. There’s always something to do.” Ugh. Yeah, we feel so bad for you!
7. A humble brag that makes use of denial.
The person might pretend to have a serious case of denial about themselves and their skills or possessions, as a way to get attention. It’s so annoying! So, for example, they might say something like, “I don’t notice when people hit on me” or “Oh? Do you like my new car? I wasn’t sure if I should get it.” Ew.
8. A humble brag that uses the person’s flaws as a boasting opportunity.
Someone who wants to come across as humble might use their perceived flaws as a way to boast about themselves. An example is if they say something like, “I have such small arms but at the gym, everyone compliments my biceps. I don’t get it.” Enough!
9. A humble brag that uses name-dropping.
When someone mentions how they know someone famous, it always seems desperate. A humble bragger might say something like, “I saw Miley Cyrus at the airport, but I couldn’t go talk to her ’cause I was dressed in the worst outfit!”
10. A humble brag that mentions a compliment they received.
The person might want to get attention or praise for a compliment someone gave them, but it’s clear they just want to boast. For example, they might say, “When someone says they appreciate my work, I feel like I’m making such a difference.” They might throw in lots of details to increase the “boastability” of their comments.
11. A humble brag that makes them seem like a hero.
Someone might resort to humble bragging to show how great they are at making a difference. So, they might say something like, “I saw a bird fall out of its nest and I tried to save it, like anyone would, even though it made me late for work.” They seem like they really care about the issue, but they just have to boast about how great they are.
12. A humble brag that highlights their appearance.
This one is so fascinating. Have you ever heard someone use a humble brag by trying to slip in something positive about their appearance? They might say, “I hate how my tooth infection is hiding my cheekbones from view.” Err, clearly, they love their cheekbones and want everyone to know. Or, they might say, “I hate wearing white pants ’cause they make me look so thin.” Right.
13. A humble brag aimed at making you jealous.
A malicious type of humble brag is the one that features jealousy. So, they might know you love horses and say, “I went horse riding on the beach yesterday, but the wind was so annoying.” Or, if they know you love reading, they’ll say, “I just bought the latest Kindle device, but I never have time to read!”
14. A humble brag that uses faux gratitude.
You congratulate someone on their freelancing side hustle and instead of accepting the compliment with grace, they say, “Oh, I’m just really lucky that I have the discipline to work two jobs.” Or, you compliment someone’s promotion, and they say, “I’m fortunate to work at the best company in the world.”
15. A humble brag that shows they know how amazing they are.
Instead of citing luck or good fortune, the humble bragger might make it clear that they know just how amazing they are. This is one of the more obnoxious types of humble bragging. So, they might say things like, “I try not to let my good look and success be the only thing I’m known for.” Yawn!
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