self-mockery

noun

self-mock·​ery ˌself-ˈmä-k(ə-)rē How to pronounce self-mockery (audio)
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 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
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.
The other four actors in the scene playing the human members of the band are fully exposed and great at both dancing and self-mockery. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024 The layers of self-mockery are kind of impossible to decipher. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 9 Dec. 2024 The first wave of these jokes often incorporated gentle self-mockery from the bourgeoisie. Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2024 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

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-mockery was in 1657

Dictionary Entries Near self-mockery

Cite this Entry

“Self-mockery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-mockery. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

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