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
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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

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 3 Jun. 2025.

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