self-deprecating

as in humble
formal meant to make yourself or the things you do seem unimportant He spoke in a self-deprecating tone. self-deprecating humor

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of self-deprecating He’s also invested his protagonist with a self-deprecating sense of humor that keeps his pessimism from veering into maudlin territory. Book Marks june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025 Armed with a voice that creates a number of characters and family members, Bamford’s comedy takes a self-deprecating, if occasionally surreal , look at her life, and her struggles with anxiety and bi-polar and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 26 June 2025 Horowitz is a master of self-deprecating humor, and at depicting the curiosities of his central odd couple. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 25 June 2025 Many of those songs are self-deprecating, like a confession at a cantina. Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-deprecating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-deprecating
Adjective
  • Both Dunn’s and Watt’s stories exemplify two former standout NFL players who reached the pinnacle of their professions yet never forgot their humble beginnings, continuing to remain empathetic and grounded.
    Mark LaSota, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • Moore doesn’t agree that Beshear needs to be bolder, or somehow less humble to attract a national following.
    Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • Antoinette becomes a de facto leader when her meek husband crumbles under pressure.
    Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
  • The end of season 2 turned the tables on the meek Ada and domineering Agnes when Agnes lost her fortune thanks to her son Oscar (Blake Ritson) trusting the wrong people.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-deprecating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-deprecating. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!