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.
In his interview alongside Padalecki in PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive issue, Czuchry was self-deprecating when asked about earning a spot in this year’s roundup of hot men. Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025 Instagram users quickly flooded the comments with reactions ranging from existential dread to self-deprecating humor. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025 Sullivan adds that the duo's self-deprecating humor is key. Stephen Fowler, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025 There can be humorous, self-deprecating responses. Rob Tanner, New York Times, 10 Nov. 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 21 Nov. 2025.

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