self-deprecation
noun
self-dep·re·ca·tion
ˌself-de-pri-ˈkā-shən 
plural self-deprecations
: disparagement or undervaluation of oneself
On-camera and off, cheerful self-deprecation is the key to Hugh Grant's formidable charm.—
Leah Rozen
Leah RozenComedy is about self-deprecation, about showing vulnerability.—David Moore
David MooreExamples of self-deprecation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The onstage self-deprecation continued when HBO Max CMO Shauna Spenley displayed the three Spider-men pointing meme on the big screen behind her, replacing the Marvel Spideys with DC Supermen and overlaying the logos of Max, HBO Max, and the old SVOD service HBO Go that first beget HBO Max.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
American humor can often be more brash than British comedy, which is cloaked in irony and self-deprecation.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
Melania Trump actually came to the U.S. to pursue her modelling career, but this was vintage Dolan, using jokey self-deprecation to disavow his proximity to state power and to scant the authority vested in him as archbishop.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025
However, where the SEALs were concerned, there’s a cultural thing within those guys which is to absolutely err on the side of self-deprecation and humility.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2025
Adding to the conversation, director Matt Shakman pointed out that despite previous iterations depicting the character as a silly playboy, the source material also details a superhero with great intelligence and self-deprecation.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 13 Apr. 2025
Very carefully, unless your boss is Graydon Carter, whose gift for irreverence and self-deprecation is almost as legendary as his hair.
—Jim Kelly, Air Mail, 29 Mar. 2025
The comic has always tended more towards goofiness and self-deprecation.
—Ashraf Khalil, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025
While well-intentioned, this self-deprecation can damage your credibility and create awkwardness.
—Melody Wilding, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
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Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
American humor can often be more brash than British comedy, which is cloaked in irony and self-deprecation.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
Melania Trump actually came to the U.S. to pursue her modelling career, but this was vintage Dolan, using jokey self-deprecation to disavow his proximity to state power and to scant the authority vested in him as archbishop.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025
However, where the SEALs were concerned, there’s a cultural thing within those guys which is to absolutely err on the side of self-deprecation and humility.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2025
Adding to the conversation, director Matt Shakman pointed out that despite previous iterations depicting the character as a silly playboy, the source material also details a superhero with great intelligence and self-deprecation.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 13 Apr. 2025
Very carefully, unless your boss is Graydon Carter, whose gift for irreverence and self-deprecation is almost as legendary as his hair.
—Jim Kelly, Air Mail, 29 Mar. 2025
The comic has always tended more towards goofiness and self-deprecation.
—Ashraf Khalil, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025
While well-intentioned, this self-deprecation can damage your credibility and create awkwardness.
—Melody Wilding, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-deprecation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-deprecation. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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