self-mockery

noun

self-mock·​ery ˌself-ˈmä-k(ə-)rē How to pronounce self-mockery (audio)
plural self-mockeries
: action or speech in which one mocks or makes fun of oneself : mockery of oneself
Before he retired from baseball in 1954, Mr. Garagiola was acquiring a reputation as a popular after-dinner speaker in his native St. Louis, with an endearing quality of self-mockery.Bart Barnes
She directed a scathing self-mockery at her own talents, looks, and intellectual efforts …Jean Strouse
self-mocking adjective
self-mocking humor
a self-mocking smile/laugh
the author's self-mocking tone

Examples of self-mockery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rife with self-mockery, his work dares to register the brilliant, kaleidoscopic puzzle of selfhood. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Moore herself has, with sly self-mockery, invoked Stephen Sondheim’s line that excessive bird imagery is a sign of a second-rate poet. Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023 Self-deprecation is one thing; self-mockery far less ordinary. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-mockery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-mockery was in 1657

Dictionary Entries Near self-mockery

Cite this Entry

“Self-mockery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-mockery. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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