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 branding flip-flop was ridiculed online — which WBD’s social team tried to get ahead of by sending out a flurry of self-deprecating memes poking fun at the name switcheroo.
—
Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 July 2025
The Soviets removed their missiles, and the US pledged not to invade Cuba and to dismantle obsolete nuclear weapons in Turkey.
Kennedy, ever the egotist despite his sometimes self-deprecating humor, certainly worried about his legacy as president.
—Richard Cherwitz, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2025
Lady Gaga, Jennifer Garner, Ty Pennington and Emily Ratajkowski were among the celebs who participated in the (at times, self-deprecating) trend.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 7 July 2025
He’s also invested his protagonist with a self-deprecating sense of humor that keeps his pessimism from veering into maudlin territory.
—Book Marks
june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 July 2025
The Soviets removed their missiles, and the US pledged not to invade Cuba and to dismantle obsolete nuclear weapons in Turkey.
Kennedy, ever the egotist despite his sometimes self-deprecating humor, certainly worried about his legacy as president.
—Richard Cherwitz, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2025
Lady Gaga, Jennifer Garner, Ty Pennington and Emily Ratajkowski were among the celebs who participated in the (at times, self-deprecating) trend.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 7 July 2025
He’s also invested his protagonist with a self-deprecating sense of humor that keeps his pessimism from veering into maudlin territory.
—Book Marks
june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-deprecating
Adjective
-
The film stars Mark Feuerstein as Rabbi Mo, a humble leader in a high-desert Jewish community who is thrust into the role of reluctant warrior after a violent attack shakes his world.—
Eric E. Harrison,
Arkansas Online,
14 Aug. 2025
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Chelsea may go into the new Premier League campaign wearing a gold badge on their shirts that marks them out as reigning world champions after their triumph in the United States last month but, internally, the message from the club hierarchy is to stay humble and keep working.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Subsequently, Pakistan also bargained down the new American tariffs on its goods from 29% to 19% — relatively meek next to India’s rate.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
14 Aug. 2025
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That 19% share is meek compared with where U.S. investors are most intensely busy – in states with small populations and tourism hooks.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-deprecating. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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