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
His themes intersect with those of Kiarostami—an anti-authoritarianism that, though no less radical, is an ironic, self-deprecating one.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Gosling seems like a strong fit given his knack for blending self-deprecating and sometimes oddball humor with some serious dramatic chops.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2026
Glaser, who is coming off two straight years hosting the Golden Globe Awards, made a name for herself with a classic blend of raunchy and self-deprecating jokes.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 23 Mar. 2026
Cashier have a bit of a self-deprecating streak.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Gosling seems like a strong fit given his knack for blending self-deprecating and sometimes oddball humor with some serious dramatic chops.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2026
Glaser, who is coming off two straight years hosting the Golden Globe Awards, made a name for herself with a classic blend of raunchy and self-deprecating jokes.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 23 Mar. 2026
Cashier have a bit of a self-deprecating streak.
—Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-deprecating
Adjective
-
My occupations have given me a happy, humble, quiet life, but always nagging in the back of my mind has been a case of impostor syndrome.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Gregory Lorenzi has spent the past 10 years at Brest, where his eye for a bargain helped to catapult the humble Breton club from mid-table mediocrity in Ligue 2 to a third-place finish in Ligue 1 and a fairytale Champions League campaign.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Gone was the meek servant child, replaced by a confident woman who remained composed during aggressive cross-examination.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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In Sylvie’s imagination, Nita becomes Anna, a sultry beauty with a cruel streak who has been dating the meek Christophe (Niney) while secretly engaging in an affair with their married boss, Pierre (Cassel).—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-deprecating. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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