self-deprecating
adjective
self-dep·re·cat·ing
ˌself-ˈde-pri-ˌkā-tiŋ 
: 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
Eve MacSweeney
self-deprecatingly
adverb
… his own informal cluster of American dissident scholars, which self-deprecatingly calls itself the "consolation club" …
—Franklin Foer
Franklin Foer
Examples of self-deprecating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unless humor is literally part of your brand image, the safest option for companies to use is self-deprecating humor.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Gay instantly became the show’s breakout star — the smart, self-aware and hyper-relatable one who was quick to share her insecurities or crack a self-deprecating joke.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Each show follows a similar formula — a host sits behind a desk and celebrity guests tell funny anecdotes, promote their latest work, and even play self-deprecating games for audience amusement.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024
Trump couldn't think of a self-deprecating joke: 'There's nothing to say'
Named after former New York Gov. Alfred E. Smith, the dinner benefits Catholic charities but is known for speakers making jokes about themselves and their political adversaries.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-deprecating 
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Gay instantly became the show’s breakout star — the smart, self-aware and hyper-relatable one who was quick to share her insecurities or crack a self-deprecating joke.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Each show follows a similar formula — a host sits behind a desk and celebrity guests tell funny anecdotes, promote their latest work, and even play self-deprecating games for audience amusement.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024
Trump couldn't think of a self-deprecating joke: 'There's nothing to say'
Named after former New York Gov. Alfred E. Smith, the dinner benefits Catholic charities but is known for speakers making jokes about themselves and their political adversaries.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-deprecating
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-deprecating.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near self-deprecating
Cite this Entry
“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-deprecating. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share