as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
he typically followed up any mention of his accomplishments with some deprecatory comments about his perceived failures
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Recent Examples of deprecatory
This subsided with unusual speed, however, as cricket fans took instead to sharing the self-deprecatory jokes coming over the border.
—
The Economist, 22 June 2019
Philipps has acquired her 1-million-and-growing Instagram followers through her self-deprecatory humor, raw honesty and vulnerability.
—Sonja Haller, USA TODAY, 11 July 2018
What the show is really selling is the Chang attitude and mystique, a combination of ego, exactitude, foul-mouthed rebelliousness and self-deprecatory nerdiness.
—Mike Hale, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2018
The Economist, 22 June 2019
Philipps has acquired her 1-million-and-growing Instagram followers through her self-deprecatory humor, raw honesty and vulnerability.
—Sonja Haller, USA TODAY, 11 July 2018
What the show is really selling is the Chang attitude and mystique, a combination of ego, exactitude, foul-mouthed rebelliousness and self-deprecatory nerdiness.
—Mike Hale, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deprecatory
Adjective
-
Altman seems to find the question insulting.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
-
To educate all of them in similar ways is insulting, and silly.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On Friday, Angels lawyer Stephen Ladsous showed Tarter his X account, which had multiple retweets of derogatory posts about team owner Arte Moreno.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
-
In a May 2025 interview with the Daily Mail, Davis denied talking about his political views or using derogatory language around Stause.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The intensity of Irish expressions of solidarity in 2024 caused one pro-Israel commentator, Ben Cohen, to coin the term Paddystinian as a derisive epithet to counter the narrative, conflating the pejorative stereotype of the drunken Paddy with Palestine.—
Philip Metres
August 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
-
In fact, locals use a different (and pejorative) term for the other versions: arroz con cosas, or rice with things.—
Sofia Perez,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
For many of Modi’s supporters, Mamdani’s rhetoric is seen as a malicious attack on the country’s majority religion.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Neither party admitted to liability and each agreed to refrain from making disparaging, negative or uncomplimentary statements about the other, the document said.—
Lorraine Mirabella,
Baltimore Sun,
29 July 2022
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Though the pollen gunk will pass, he's concerned by a contingent of Twitter trolls who've shared uncomplimentary reviews of his recent North American tour.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE.com,
21 Jan. 2022
Adjective
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Trump’s reaction to Modi’s trip to Tianjin has been scornful, claiming that India is offering to drop all tariffs on American goods.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Trump, too, is scornful of what European diplomacy could achieve, declaring recently that Iran doesn’t want to talk to Europe.—
Garret Martin,
The Conversation,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
The band was concerned about their record label’s reaction, but despite the movie’s scene with a Myers cameo as a contemptuous exec, Reid insists there was no confrontation.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
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There are some good, compassionate officers out there, but the general attitude has become cold, cruel and contemptuous toward homeless individuals.—
Bruce Higgins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Godchaux was a divisive figure among Grateful Dead devotees — many fans were frankly outright disdainful of her presence on stage.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
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He’s been sullen all day, sunk in his collar, his face disdainful.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deprecatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deprecatory. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.
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