as in self-deprecating
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Recent Examples of self-deprecatory
Prior to sharing his self-deprecatory costume, Vance marked the holiday with another one of his viral memes.
—
Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025
His TikTok alone is a treasure trove of hilarious videos, which range from self-deprecatory humor to him hopping on whatever viral trend is tickling his fancy.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Though it’s been less than two weeks since Conan O’Brien made his Oscars hosting debut, the famously self-deprecatory comedian is already discussing how things could’ve gone differently.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2025
But here, Astrov, given great self-deprecatory wit by William Jackson Harper, is more dimensional than usual, including, for once, an interest in trees that’s as painfully visceral as his interest in Elena.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025
His TikTok alone is a treasure trove of hilarious videos, which range from self-deprecatory humor to him hopping on whatever viral trend is tickling his fancy.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Though it’s been less than two weeks since Conan O’Brien made his Oscars hosting debut, the famously self-deprecatory comedian is already discussing how things could’ve gone differently.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2025
But here, Astrov, given great self-deprecatory wit by William Jackson Harper, is more dimensional than usual, including, for once, an interest in trees that’s as painfully visceral as his interest in Elena.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-deprecatory
Adjective
-
Tellingly, Jah-Monte’s never self-deprecating.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 Feb. 2026
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That’s not true, but the comedian, 69, is prone to self-deprecating humor.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For instance, many people praised former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s empathetic, self-effacing leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an openness and deference to experts.—
Barret Michalec,
The Conversation,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The self-effacing Kress downplayed the moment.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
An unassuming metal barn at the edge of the UC Davis campus is now home to some of the most sophisticated high-speed cameras in the country — and the birds that put the equipment to the test.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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Outside of Old Town, some of Murrieta’s best restaurants are tucked inside unassuming shopping plazas, like Honeycutt Farms Cafe.—
Cu Fleshman,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But the most welcome voice in the film is that of Linda, straightforward and down-to-earth.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Feb. 2026
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At a different law school event the previous year, Roberts revealed a more down-to-earth reason why his predecessor – Chief Justice William Rehnquist − skipped one of President Ronald Reagan’s addresses.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Oseguera is said to have begun his storied career in humble fashion, as a small-time drug dealer in California.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
-
In the right hands, even the humblest city EV can become an unhinged, albeit highly entertaining, tire-shredding science experiment.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
At the film’s center is Seyo Kim (Chen Emilie Yan), a meek state lawyer looking to make a difference, but who accepts, with begrudging sighs, her department’s 80% rate of dropping hate crime prosecutions as just another part of the job.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
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Tushtu, the meekest, frailest of the chanters, trailing at the back, stopped to turn towards Charu with a sly grin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Using drone surveys to map the forest canopy, the team tested how views might shift if certain trees were felled, inching toward a location that felt both deliberate and deferential to the land.—
Leonora Epstein,
Architectural Digest,
27 Feb. 2026
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Supreme Court review could provide an intriguing mix of issues for the nine justices, a majority of whom are viewed as business-friendly but also deferential to states’ rights and skeptical of federal agencies.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Bridgeman doesn’t speak with arrogance but with a calm, aw-shucks confidence.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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So far, the closest person the 2020s have to fill that slot is Glen Powell, a native of the Lone Star State blessed with a smile that melts butter and and aw-shucks amiability.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-deprecatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-deprecatory. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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