as in humble
formal
meant to make yourself or the things you do seem unimportant
He spoke in a self-deprecating tone. self-deprecating humor
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-deprecating
That self-deprecating humor is a cornerstone of her winning formula.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
O’Brien, known for his self-deprecating humor, emceed the Oscars this year and in 2025.
—Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Schmidt will play Lori Gillespie, a strong-willed, self-deprecating attorney.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
Similarly, Carl Sandburg, David Herbert Donald, and Doris Kearns Goodwin have depicted a Lincoln marked by humble, self-deprecating self-awareness.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
O’Brien, known for his self-deprecating humor, emceed the Oscars this year and in 2025.
—Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Schmidt will play Lori Gillespie, a strong-willed, self-deprecating attorney.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
Similarly, Carl Sandburg, David Herbert Donald, and Doris Kearns Goodwin have depicted a Lincoln marked by humble, self-deprecating self-awareness.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-deprecating
Adjective
-
Some Wordlers also play Competitive Wordle against friends, family, the Wordle Bot or even against me, your humble narrator.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
The quality emerging from this food stall inside Edgewater Public Market doesn’t match its humble name or decor.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Their 1-1 draw instead brought a meek defence of their Premier League title to an end.—
Luke Bosher,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
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Gone was the meek servant child, replaced by a confident woman who remained composed during aggressive cross-examination.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-deprecating. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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