self-deprecating

adjective

self-dep·​re·​cat·​ing ˌself-ˈde-pri-ˌkā-tiŋ How to pronounce self-deprecating (audio)
: 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
self-deprecatingly adverb
… his own informal cluster of American dissident scholars, which self-deprecatingly calls itself the "consolation club" … Franklin Foer

Examples of self-deprecating in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Along with Postcards from the Edge, this is Fisher’s most vital, soul-baring, and charmingly self-deprecating collection. Brian Boone, Vulture, 18 June 2025 Even really successful cast members are a little regretful or self-deprecating about it, or feel anxious even talking about it. Peter White, Deadline, 18 June 2025 Like his manager, Miley loves little more than a self-deprecating joke. C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 16 June 2025 The band’s three main songwriters, Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons and Michael McDonald, all gave gracious acceptance speeches, but McDonald’s characteristically self-deprecating last words got the biggest laugh of the night. Jem Aswad, Variety, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-deprecating was in 1834

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Cite this Entry

“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-deprecating. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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