dep ‧ re ‧ cat ‧ ing /ˈdeprəkeɪtɪŋ, ˈdeprɪkeɪtɪŋ/ BrE AmE ( also dep‧re‧ca‧to‧ry /ˈdeprəkeɪt ə ri, ˈdeprɪkeɪt ə ri $ ˈdeprəkətɔːri/) adjective formal
1 . expressing criticism or disapproval:
She glanced at me in a deprecating way.
2 . British English intended to make someone feel less annoyed or disapproving:
a deprecating smile
⇨ ↑ self-deprecating
—deprecatingly adverb