self-deprecating

adjective

self-dep·​re·​cat·​ing ˌself-ˈde-pri-ˌkā-tiŋ How to pronounce self-deprecating (audio)
Synonyms of self-deprecating
: 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.
Some of Sami’s videos also were humorous and self-deprecating. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2026 As a priest, Lamb held a calm, patient and somewhat self-deprecating sense of perspective. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026 His screen appeal combines a mix of swagger and self-deprecating, and at times evokes (a taller) Joseph Gordon-Levitt. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026 Dolly Parton brought her last concert tour, Pure & Simple, to Kansas City a decade ago, a night made memorable by the country icon’s trademark self-deprecating jokes as much as her music. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for self-deprecating

See All Rhymes for self-deprecating

Browse Nearby Words

self-dependent
self-deprecating
self-deprecation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-deprecating. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for self-deprecating

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