self-deprecating
adjective
self-dep·re·cat·ing
ˌself-ˈde-pri-ˌkā-tiŋ 
: tending or serving to disparage or undervalue oneself
self-deprecating humor
He is far too self-deprecating … to assume the persona of a celebrity.—
Eve MacSweeney
Eve MacSweeney
self-deprecatingly
adverb
… his own informal cluster of American dissident scholars, which self-deprecatingly calls itself the "consolation club" …
—Franklin Foer
Franklin Foer
Examples of self-deprecating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some of Swift's best work comes from her self-deprecating moods, and this track, with its self-loathing but super catchy lyrics, is no exception.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
When Arnett’s character attempts open-mic standup at a comedy club with confessional, self-deprecating material, a whole new world opens for him.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
When Arnett’s character attempts open-mic standup at a comedy club with confessional, self-deprecating material, a whole new world opens for him.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
But while Ronald Reagan could sometimes be disarmingly self-deprecating, Team Trump is far too threatened by everything to tolerate humor.
—Merrill Markoe, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
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Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
When Arnett’s character attempts open-mic standup at a comedy club with confessional, self-deprecating material, a whole new world opens for him.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
When Arnett’s character attempts open-mic standup at a comedy club with confessional, self-deprecating material, a whole new world opens for him.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
But while Ronald Reagan could sometimes be disarmingly self-deprecating, Team Trump is far too threatened by everything to tolerate humor.
—Merrill Markoe, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Cite this Entry
“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-deprecating. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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