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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Recent Examples of self-deprecating
The bridge is the fusion of the two, being funny and tongue-in-cheek and self-deprecating, but also trying to say something that matters.
—
Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
Fortunately, Jimmy is there to ease the tension with some self-deprecating humor about his failure to pass the civil-service tests.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Weike Wang, Chemistry Weike Wang’s debut novel is quick, wry, and fraught with self-deprecating humor.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Someone might say it about others in good-natured talk or themselves as a self-deprecating compliment.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
Fortunately, Jimmy is there to ease the tension with some self-deprecating humor about his failure to pass the civil-service tests.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Weike Wang, Chemistry Weike Wang’s debut novel is quick, wry, and fraught with self-deprecating humor.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Someone might say it about others in good-natured talk or themselves as a self-deprecating compliment.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-deprecating
Adjective
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Singer Island has a humble personality, with more reverence for its natural beauty and less regard for glamorous perfection than its southern neighbor.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
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This humble ingredient is a powerhouse in all kinds of cooking.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The magic of the series comes in the complete buy-in of the contestants as well as Davies and Horne (Horne's character is a meek, annoying and sycophantic version of himself).—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
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But savings were meek, with the largest dip found in Stockton, off only 4% last year vs up 2% in 2024 and 36% over the previous four years.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-deprecating. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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