self-deprecating

adjective

self-dep·​re·​cat·​ing ˌself-ˈde-pri-ˌkā-tiŋ How to pronounce self-deprecating (audio)
: tending or serving to disparage or undervalue oneself
self-deprecating humor
He is far too self-deprecating … to assume the persona of a celebrity.Eve MacSweeney
self-deprecatingly adverb
… his own informal cluster of American dissident scholars, which self-deprecatingly calls itself the "consolation club" … Franklin Foer

Examples of self-deprecating in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The running joke on my five seasons covering the Marlins — a self-deprecating coping mechanism, really — was that at least one of my flights would get delayed on every trip. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025 The 34-year-old recently joined the Joe Pomp Show where Koepka provided some self-deprecating analysis of his performances. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025 His undisguised Queens tough-guy swagger, self-confidence, and use of self-deprecating humor won over the crowd. Steve Cohen, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2025 O’Brien employed his trademark self-deprecating humor to put a stamp on his Oscar performance, taking it easy on the stars in the audience. Greg Evans, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-deprecating was in 1834

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Cite this Entry

“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-deprecating. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

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