self-deprecating

adjective

self-dep·re·cat·ing ˌself-ˈde-pri-ˌkā-tiŋ

Synonyms of self-deprecating next

: 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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Putting on some glasses and bringing down the volume a bit, Cuban reinvented himself as a self-deprecating and stats-sharp surrogate for Harris. —

Dominic Patten, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024 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 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

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-deprecating. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

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