self-deprecating
adjective
self-dep·re·cat·ing
ˌself-ˈde-pri-ˌkā-tiŋ 
: 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
Eve MacSweeney
self-deprecatingly
adverb
… his own informal cluster of American dissident scholars, which self-deprecatingly calls itself the "consolation club" …
—Franklin Foer
Franklin Foer
Examples of self-deprecating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Stop rolling your eyes and watch his viral, self-deprecating Dunkin’ Donuts Super Bowl ad.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
As Jon, Luc Clopton sports in winning fashion Larson’s gentle flop of hair and a needy, but self-deprecating nature.
—Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 3 Feb. 2025
April is funny and self-deprecating, seemingly comfortable in her skin despite the constant questioning of her gender.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 1 Feb. 2025
Murray was self-deprecating when his jokes didn’t land with the audience.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for self-deprecating 
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.
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
As Jon, Luc Clopton sports in winning fashion Larson’s gentle flop of hair and a needy, but self-deprecating nature.
—Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 3 Feb. 2025
April is funny and self-deprecating, seemingly comfortable in her skin despite the constant questioning of her gender.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 1 Feb. 2025
Murray was self-deprecating when his jokes didn’t land with the audience.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for self-deprecating
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 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share