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
Someone might say it about others in good-natured talk or themselves as a self-deprecating compliment.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2025
Taurasi accepted the well-wishes while also taking a self-deprecating jab at herself.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025
The bus and its older sibling, a micro-passenger car dubbed the Beetle or Bug, were part of a phenomenal marketing campaign complete with clever, self-deprecating ads.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
The campaign, intentionally crafted without generative AI, relied on human creativity to build emotional connection and brand personality — rebellious, self-deprecating, approachable, and fun.
—Dasha Shunina, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
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Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2025
Taurasi accepted the well-wishes while also taking a self-deprecating jab at herself.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025
The bus and its older sibling, a micro-passenger car dubbed the Beetle or Bug, were part of a phenomenal marketing campaign complete with clever, self-deprecating ads.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
The campaign, intentionally crafted without generative AI, relied on human creativity to build emotional connection and brand personality — rebellious, self-deprecating, approachable, and fun.
—Dasha Shunina, Forbes.com, 17 July 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 27 Aug. 2025.
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