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self-deprecating

American

[self-dep-ri-key-ting, self-] / ˌsɛlfˈdɛp rɪˌkeɪ tɪŋ, ˌsɛlf- /

Also self-deprecatory

adjective

belittling or undervaluing oneself; excessively modest.

self-deprecating British

adjective

having a tendency to disparage oneself

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

self-deprecatingly adverb
self-deprecation noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Washington first met Matthews, she was self-deprecating.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

The self-deprecating Northern Irishman might have carried himself with a humble air of astonishment over these last few weeks, but his presence has been a PR and coaching masterstroke.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

The humor is self-deprecating, the setting international, the weather wintry, the company good.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025

Jetten, who survived multiple knockout rounds to place third in the show’s finale, came across as charismatic and self-deprecating, viewers said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025

And in lo those many years, he has never before made a self-deprecating joke.

From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023