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

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

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 21 Dec. 2024.

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