adjective

• Modest about or critical of oneself, especially humorously so.

  ‘self-deprecating jokes’

  More example sentences

  • ‘I like the fact that she's never falsely modest, just self-deprecating.’
  • ‘In person he is down-to-earth, funny and modest with a self-deprecating charm.’
  • ‘He is self-deprecating and self-effacing and has used humor to deflect criticism about his inadequacy and deficiency.’
  • ‘She was constantly tuning her guitar between songs, smiling nervously as she filled the time with self-deprecating jokes.’
  • ‘As always, his sermon begins slowly, with self-deprecating jokes and gentle admonitions.’
  • ‘He is unfailingly friendly, diffident and self-deprecating with an old-fashioned sense of fair play.’
  • ‘Young women often make the mistake of beginning their talks with an apology or self-deprecating comment of some sort.’
  • ‘She's very self-deprecating about her success, very unpretentious, and not a little sceptical about the publishing world.’
  • ‘He was self-deprecating and dignified all at once.’
  • ‘It's self-deprecating and he laughs about it, but I think there are two things I'd say.’
  • ‘His self-deprecating, nice-guy demeanour is comforting, but he's rarely funnier than your funniest friend on an off night.’
  • ‘His account is littered with self-deprecating humour.’
  • ‘Ferrell, however, doesn't get nearly enough screen time to show off his self-deprecating sketch comedy style.’
  • ‘He was funny, self-deprecating, human and, when it mattered, sincere and passionate.’
  • ‘It is written very much in the author's voice, that genial, somewhat bumbling, self-deprecating character we all think we know.’
  • ‘A further example is that, when an attempt to be self-deprecating is provided, it will be met with disagreement rather than agreement.’
  • ‘He gradually learned to give expression to his natural charm and courtesy and he increasingly deployed his self-deprecating humour.’
  • ‘Both stories are agreeably self-deprecating and rimed with snark.’
  • ‘The self-analysis is withering at times and self-deprecating.’
  • ‘It could easily have degenerated into dreadful mawkishness but self-deprecating humour helped save the day.’

  Synonyms

  self-effacing, self-deprecating, humble, unpretentious, unassuming, unpresuming, unostentatious, low-key, free from vanity, keeping one's light under a bushel