fishing for compliments
Angling for flattery
Fishing for compliments is seeking praise through false modesty or leading statements, hoping others will contradict you with flattery.
Someone who says I look terrible today while clearly dressed up is fishing for compliments.
The fishing metaphor suggests casting out bait and waiting for someone to bite.
- attention-seekingCraving others' focus
- flatteryExcessive insincere praise
- pat on the backGesture showing approval
- humble-bragDisguised self-congratulation
- just sayingVerbal shrug after criticism
validation · insecure · low self-esteem · praise · needy · obvious · transparent · self-deprecating · ego · reassurance · vanity · angling · bait · false humility · approval · coy · manipulative · craving
- fishing idiomshook line and sinker, fish out of water, the one that got away, fish or cut bait, bigger fish to fry
- showing offboasting, bragged, show off, bragging, boasted
- egoego, egoism, big ego, egotism, egocentrism
- narcissismnarcissist, narcissistic personality disorder, ego, vanity, self-love
- people-pleasing behaviorsflattery, accommodating, self-sacrifice, conflict avoidance, peacekeeping
- self-deprecationself-mockery, self-effacement, self-criticism, deprecation, humble brag
self-promotion vs. self-effacement
fishing for complimentsself-effacement
Downplaying one's importance
fishing, fished, fisher, fishers, fishery, fisheries, fisherman, fishermen, compliment