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.
Steve Nelson, the president of Aetna and a former chief executive at UnitedHealthcare, said Mr. Thompson had a self-deprecating sense of humor that put others at ease. Amy Julia Harris, New York Times, 11 Dec. 2024 Model healthy self-talk: Avoid self-deprecating comments about appearance and instead model self-confidence and self-acceptance. Sherri Gordon, Clc, Parents, 29 Nov. 2024 Lively has been in a self-deprecating mood lately, recently sharing an unflattering picture of herself to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 26 Nov. 2024 Biden typically has approached his increasing age with self-deprecating humor. Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 20 Nov. 2024 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

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 24 Dec. 2024.

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