self-deprecation

American

[self-dep-ri-key-shuhn, self-] / ˌsɛlfˌdɛp rɪˈkeɪ ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

Also self-depreciation

noun

the act or habit of belittling or undervaluing oneself; excessive modesty, often as a form of humor.

There’s no need for self-deprecation—you're doing fine and shouldn’t be worried about your shortcomings.
At the luau, the Hawaiian chief's deadpan delivery, self-deprecation, and gentle mockery of tourists was hilarious.

Etymology

Origin of self-deprecation

First recorded in 1840–45; self- ( def. ) + deprecation ( def. )

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.

The dry humor, the wit, the self-deprecation and all that.

From Los Angeles Times

The account has gotten widespread attention, in part for mixing its attacks with a soupçon of self-deprecation.

From The Wall Street Journal

“News is given with a frank posture, tinged with humor, derision, sometimes self-deprecation, which leads to virality on social networks, and increases the impact of our message,” Barrot said in a January speech to French diplomats where he urged them to adopt the French Response tone.

From The Wall Street Journal

She adopted a similar tonal approach to last year’s monologue, although in the year since she first treated the A-listers seated in that Beverly Hilton ballroom with kid gloves and strategically displayed self-deprecation, she’s moved up a league or two.

From Salon

Only a Brit can make such florid self-deprecation charming, and the 75-year-old Nighy’s fluency in this — along with his plummy, mellifluous drawl — makes him a perfect agony uncle: not the go-to guy for people whose lives are actually falling apart, but the one whose lived experience steers his guidance and offers perspective rather than prescription.

From Salon

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