self-deprecating
/ˌsɛlfˈdɛpɹəˌkeɪtɪŋ/
self-deprecating adjective: expressing disapproval of oneself. Also the present participle and gerund of self-deprecate.
Adjective
self-deprecating (comparative more self-deprecating, superlative most self-deprecating)
- Expressing disapproval of oneself.
- Mention sex, and the English humour reflex kicks in. And we all know that self-deprecating jokes are the most effective, the most widely appreciated form of humour.2004, Kate Fox, “Rules of Sex”, in Watching the English, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN, page 325
- One of the most defining outcomes of the study was the acknowledgement that the use of self-deprecating humour doesn’t necessarily have negative connotations, as previously thought.2018 February 18, “Self-deprecating humour linked to greater psychological wellbeing, study finds”, in The Independent
- Synonyms:
- self-deprecatory
- Unassuming, modest.
Also used as
self-deprecating is also the present participle and gerund of self-deprecate.
Synonyms of self-deprecating
Forms of self-deprecating
| comparative | more self-deprecating |
|---|---|
| superlative | most self-deprecating |
Origin of self-deprecating
From self- + deprecating.
Questions about self-deprecating
- What does self-deprecating mean?
- Self-deprecating means expressing disapproval of oneself.
- What part of speech is self-deprecating?
- Self-deprecating is an adjective.
- How do you pronounce self-deprecating?
- Self-deprecating is pronounced /ˌsɛlfˈdɛpɹəˌkeɪtɪŋ/.
Words near self-deprecating in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: self-deprecating (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “self-deprecating.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/self-deprecating. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.