Meaning & use
self-denigration
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Meanings
noununcountable
The habit of talking about yourself as worthless or inferior, often more harshly than the facts justify.
Grammar: No plural and no 'a'; it names a general behavior, like 'self-denigration is common among new writers'.
Patterns
- self-denigration about something
- a habit of self-denigration
- constant self-denigration
Her constant self-denigration made it hard for the team to see how much she actually contributed.
He joked that his self-denigration was a British hobby, but his friends worried it was real.
Therapy helped him notice his self-denigration and replace it with fairer judgments about his work.
noununcountableformal
An act of publicly lowering your own status or worth, sometimes to appear modest.
Grammar: Can describe a single instance in context: 'that remark was pure self-denigration'.
Patterns
- an act of self-denigration
- a moment of self-denigration
His speech opened with a little self-denigration about his terrible cooking.
What looked like modesty was really a calculated self-denigration designed to win sympathy.
Common combinations
- constant self-denigration
- Constant self-denigration can wear down even a confident person.
- a habit of self-denigration
- She has a habit of self-denigration that started in school.
- self-denigration about your abilities
- His self-denigration about his abilities is not supported by his results.
- a tone of self-denigration
- He answered in a tone of self-denigration that made everyone uncomfortable.
Synonyms and how they differ
- self-deprecation
- Very close, but it often suggests mild, charming humor rather than a painful belief that you are worthless.
- self-hatred
- Much stronger and more clinical; it means deep dislike of yourself, not just belittling remarks.
- humility
- Positive and approving: it means not boasting, while self-denigration suggests putting yourself down too much.
Opposites
Word family
- self-denigrating adjective
- describing remarks or people that put the speaker down
- denigrate verb
- to criticize someone or something unfairly and dismissively
- denigration noun
- the act of unfairly criticizing or belittling someone
Commonly confused: self-denigration or self-deprecation?
self-denigration vs self-deprecation
Often used as a synonym, but self-deprecation usually means light, socially acceptable modesty, while self-denigration can suggest genuine low self-esteem.
Practice
Which sentence uses self-denigration correctly?
Choose one answer.
Self-denigration is uncountable, so 'a self-denigration' works as a single instance but there is no plural 'self-denigrations' and it cannot take 'to' or 'of' plus a verb like that.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “self-denigration”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.