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
That Sean Evans had a self-deprecating and serrated sense of humor.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 May 2025
As Jon narrates his increasing obsession with her, Rickson has Jackman approach the audience, exerting his familiar self-deprecating charm.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
An all-out self-deprecating ad could be warranted if the goal is to simply raise brand awareness, while a more restrained approach might be needed to avoid distraction if an ad includes technical details about a new product.
—Anton Naianzin, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Related Articles Lawrence responded in her signature self-deprecating style.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 May 2025
As Jon narrates his increasing obsession with her, Rickson has Jackman approach the audience, exerting his familiar self-deprecating charm.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
An all-out self-deprecating ad could be warranted if the goal is to simply raise brand awareness, while a more restrained approach might be needed to avoid distraction if an ad includes technical details about a new product.
—Anton Naianzin, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Related Articles Lawrence responded in her signature self-deprecating style.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 18 May 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 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share