self-mockery

noun

self-mock·ery ˌself-ˈmä-k(ə-)rē

plural self-mockeries

: action or speech in which one mocks or makes fun of oneself : mockery of oneself

Before he retired from baseball in 1954, Mr. Garagiola was acquiring a reputation as a popular after-dinner speaker in his native St. Louis, with an endearing quality of self-mockery.—

Bart Barnes

She directed a scathing self-mockery at her own talents, looks, and intellectual efforts …—

Jean Strouse

self-mocking

ˌself-ˈmä-kiŋ

adjective

self-mocking humor

a self-mocking smile/laugh

the author's self-mocking tone

Examples of self-mockery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web John’s autobiography is distinguished by its candor, and its healthy balance of self-mockery and self-knowledge. —

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2024 Rife with self-mockery, his work dares to register the brilliant, kaleidoscopic puzzle of selfhood. —

Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Moore herself has, with sly self-mockery, invoked Stephen Sondheim’s line that excessive bird imagery is a sign of a second-rate poet. —

Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023 Self-deprecation is one thing; self-mockery far less ordinary. —

Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-mockery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.