self-deprecation
noun
self-dep·re·ca·tion
ˌself-de-pri-ˈkā-shən 
plural self-deprecations
: disparagement or undervaluation of oneself
On-camera and off, cheerful self-deprecation is the key to Hugh Grant's formidable charm.—
Leah Rozen
Leah RozenComedy is about self-deprecation, about showing vulnerability.—David Moore
David MooreExamples of self-deprecation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The approach may affect his short-term playing availability and long-term real-life mobility, but Wentz’s self-deprecation on the subject is a snapshot of what has evolved.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Making guardedness and affable self-deprecation part of her identity, Keaton was known for wearing turtlenecks, gloves, and hats that kept her largely covered up, saving emotional vulnerability for her performances.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2025
As if to preëmpt her detractors, Burnett often resorted to brutal self-deprecation, describing herself in interviews as scrawny or bucktoothed.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Apatow’s descriptions of these early interviews are laced with self-deprecation and hero worship.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Carpenter — whose act fits nicely into the contemporary wave of ubiquitous young woman pop singers, though works subversively, even subtly, against the mold — loaded her set with the winks, bumps, put-downs and self-deprecations that dance across her albums.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025
And so the funny fat lady has to apologize somehow, often through self-deprecation.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 16 July 2025
Those numbers surely in mind, Judge showed nothing but respect for Crochet — and a little self-deprecation — after the Red Sox walked the Yankees off on a Carlos Narváez single.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 14 June 2025
The onstage self-deprecation continued when HBO Max CMO Shauna Spenley displayed the three Spider-men pointing meme on the big screen behind her, replacing the Marvel Spideys with DC Supermen and overlaying the logos of Max, HBO Max, and the old SVOD service HBO Go that first beget HBO Max.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
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Alec Lewis, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Making guardedness and affable self-deprecation part of her identity, Keaton was known for wearing turtlenecks, gloves, and hats that kept her largely covered up, saving emotional vulnerability for her performances.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2025
As if to preëmpt her detractors, Burnett often resorted to brutal self-deprecation, describing herself in interviews as scrawny or bucktoothed.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Apatow’s descriptions of these early interviews are laced with self-deprecation and hero worship.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Carpenter — whose act fits nicely into the contemporary wave of ubiquitous young woman pop singers, though works subversively, even subtly, against the mold — loaded her set with the winks, bumps, put-downs and self-deprecations that dance across her albums.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025
And so the funny fat lady has to apologize somehow, often through self-deprecation.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 16 July 2025
Those numbers surely in mind, Judge showed nothing but respect for Crochet — and a little self-deprecation — after the Red Sox walked the Yankees off on a Carlos Narváez single.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 14 June 2025
The onstage self-deprecation continued when HBO Max CMO Shauna Spenley displayed the three Spider-men pointing meme on the big screen behind her, replacing the Marvel Spideys with DC Supermen and overlaying the logos of Max, HBO Max, and the old SVOD service HBO Go that first beget HBO Max.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-deprecation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-deprecation. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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