self-deprecation

noun

self-dep·​re·​ca·​tion ˌself-de-pri-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce self-deprecation (audio)
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
Comedy is about self-deprecation, about showing vulnerability.—David Moore

Examples of self-deprecation 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.
His style of self-deprecation was universal. — Austin Mullen, NBC news, 15 June 2026 Usually, even after poor results, there has been a smile, a joke or an attempt at disarming self-deprecation. — Mark Critchley, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026 That book should be read by anyone who wants his or her own life to be more Buffettesque, as measured by money or patience or self-deprecation or decency. — Gary Sernovitz, Bloomberg, 29 May 2026 And because Bargatze is usually the butt of his own jokes, his mix of aw-shucks relatability and self-deprecation goes down nice and easy. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-deprecation

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-deprecation was in 1846

Rhymes for self-deprecation

See All Rhymes for self-deprecation

Browse Nearby Words

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

Cite this Entry

“Self-deprecation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-deprecation. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All