To simplify the expression \(-4^{-4}\), we can apply the properties of exponents.
First, recall that \(a^{-n} = \frac{1}{a^n}\). Therefore, we can rewrite \(-4^{-4}\) as:
\[ -4^{-4} = -\frac{1}{(-4)^4} \]
Next, we calculate \((-4)^4\):
\[ (-4)^4 = (-4) \times (-4) \times (-4) \times (-4) = 16 \times 16 = 256 \]
Now substitute this back into the expression:
\[ -4^{-4} = -\frac{1}{256} \]
Thus, the simplified expression is:
\[ -\frac{1}{256} \]