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
-
According to the Tourette Association of America, between 10 and 15% of people living with the disorder have vocal tics that may include disturbing, insulting or inappropriate language, including swear words and slurs.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Some leaders, producers and directors were not amused by Goldberg, saying her remarks were insulting and dismissive of a serious fight to gain diversity within the motion picture industry.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The law requires the removal and replacement of derogatory or offensive names for geographic features and roads.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The referee said in his post-match report that he was told by El Hilali that Mir used derogatory terms against him related to immigrants.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Over the years, the term has come to have a slightly pejorative slant, signifying a marginal kook who never quite made it into leading-lady territory.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
2 Feb. 2026
-
The Premier League’s set-piece evolution has taken on slightly pejorative connotations.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The attack also bears similarities to the tactics of a Russian bad actor group that targeted Russian Wiki pages years ago, suggesting the malicious Javascript originated from a much earlier vandalism campaign.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
-
In testimony Tuesday, Jared Birchall, Musk’s longtime business manager and confidante, said that his boss’s tweets four years ago were prompted by frustration, and not a malicious effort to sink the stock.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
His medium was the linocut print—clean, strong, and scornful of embellishment.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
-
And with a scornful undercurrent at the fact that Charli apparently stole Johannes out from under her.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Hogg, who had a brief and tumultuous stint as a DNC co–vice chair in early 2025, is contemptuous of the party’s lingering cohort of elder leaders.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Written in a joking and contemptuous tone, the tweet would take on an indescribably morbid weight just five days later, when, at the behest of Governor Cláudio Castro, the Rio de Janeiro police carried out the deadliest massacre in the country’s history.—
Evandro Cruz Silva,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet whenever Bunny turns away from Frank to take a call from one of his underlings about the day-to-day violence and ugliness of their industry, a somewhat disdainful look passes across Frank’s face.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Deprecatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deprecatory. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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