deprecating formal
deprecatory formal , also: deprecative formal

He raised a deprecating hand as she opened her mouth.

In English as a borrowing, it is far more deprecating.

He attempted to do so; but Henry raised a deprecating hand.

His deprecating smile indicated what answer he fully expected to receive.

The nose wrinkled and the Voice lifted a deprecating hand.

With a deprecating shake of her head, Nancy shut the door behind herself.

He made a deprecating gesture to the audience; they were to be seated.

She put on a little deprecating smile and shrugged.

The tall man made a deprecating gesture, then gave Sanders an easy smile.

"Eat," I said, in a deprecating tone as if there were no hurry.

Godwin smiled and made a deprecating gesture with his hand.

"I did not have to wrest you at all," she waved a deprecating hand.

Freddy made a deprecating gesture as though she didn't believe him.

Almost before the words were out of her mouth, and as if to comment on them, the little engine gave a deprecating cough.

He made a deprecating sound and led the lady towards the double doors to one side of the hall.

He sniffed in a deprecating way and eyed Charles's uniform.

He rolled his eyes and made a deprecating gesture.

Almost overnight a new deprecating sobriquet was current in London dinner party society.

A deprecating shrug invited them to do just that.

She made a deprecating gesture that also begged his forgiveness for her presumption.

The term is sometimes also used in a deprecating sense, to convey a feeling of "set up" or tailored imagery.

At this, Varzil looked away and made a deprecating gesture.

The ads also took current stereotypes of the disabled and used their deprecating language in empowering ways.

He spread his hands in a deprecating gesture.

His deprecating smile revealed the philosopher's old condescension toward the musician.

He made a deprecatory gesture, sat down, and took up a paper.

Than the terms in which it was expressed, nothing could be more deprecatory.

With a deprecatory smile Guy held up a twisted hand.

So he went away again, looking at us in a humble and deprecatory manner.

"We always use what in a rather deprecatory manner has been called the cafeteria approach," he said.

Referring to him as Otto, in other words, was by no means deprecatory.

"This is nothing," he said, with a deprecatory wave of the hand.

She stood up and offered him her arm with a slightly deprecatory smile.

Even David's deprecatory air did not check the growing hilarity.

"The old require very little sleep," she said, with a deprecatory shrug.

The old professor waved a hand, an impatient, almost deprecatory gesture.

Eleven years later, he was expelled from art school for making deprecatory remarks about one of his teachers.

Still he made a deprecatory gesture-I am as you see."

Mark concluded that he was trying to say something, probably of a deprecatory and insinuating kind.

He broke off and scolded himself with a deprecatory chuckle.

He moved his smoothly tailored shoulders in a deprecatory shrug.

Vance put out his cigarette and made a slight deprecatory gesture.

"Small error," said the Fiver and made a deprecatory gesture.

"This is beside the question," said the moneylender with a deprecatory shrug.

"I can't do it," she said with a small, deprecatory laugh.

From Frank's deprecatory remarks about the money "people" owed him, she had imagined the sums to be small.

Caroline softened the bluntness of the question with what she hoped was a deprecatory laugh.

The robot spread his strong hands in a deprecatory gesture, "I accept nothing on authority.

Miss Lawson bridled a little and uttered a deprecatory laugh.

The Romulan gave a deprecatory wave of his hand.