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 The show merges the sharp comedy Rothwell is known for with a more serious tone — and even a musical number — as its self-deprecating protagonist takes life-altering professional and personal leaps. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2024 Related Video Winona Ryder Breaks Down 15 Looks, From Beetlejuice to Stranger Things What lends it some bite, however, is Gray’s self-deprecating humor. Liam Hess, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2024 Starring writer-director Woody Allen as the neurotic Alvy Singer and Diane Keaton as the la-di-da-ing titular character, the film explores the intricacies of love, romance, and loss—with no shortage of Allen’s signature quirkiness or self-deprecating humor. Vogue, 10 Sep. 2024 That kind of self-deprecating comedy and being OK to make fun of yourself, that’s my bag. Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 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.

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

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

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 Oct. 2024.

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