self-deprecating

adjective

self-dep·​re·​cat·​ing ˌself-ˈde-pri-ˌkā-tiŋ How to pronounce self-deprecating (audio)
Synonyms of self-deprecating
: 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.
All this was built on a self-deprecating stand-up persona that made hay of middle-aged masculinity. Alison Herman, Variety, 30 June 2026 Much of his early content consisted of sketch comedy and self-deprecating homemade short films. Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026 Choi is more than a little self-deprecating. Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026 The movement’s tongue-in-cheek messaging blends self-deprecating humor with political criticism. Sheikh Saaliq, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2026 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 6 Jul. 2026.

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