humble
Americanadjective
-
humbler,
comparative
-
humblest
superlative
-
not proud or arrogant; modest.
Though very successful, she remained humble.
- Synonyms:
- unpretentious
- Antonyms:
- proud
-
having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc..
In the presence of so many world-famous writers I felt very humble.
- Synonyms:
- meek, deferential
- Antonyms:
- proud
-
low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.; lowly.
of humble origin;
a humble home.
- Synonyms:
- poor, common, plain, unassuming
-
courteously respectful.
In my humble opinion you are wrong.
- Synonyms:
- polite
-
low in height, level, etc.; small in size.
a humble member of the galaxy.
verb (used with object)
-
humbles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
humbled,
past participle, past
-
humbling
present participle
adjective
-
conscious of one's failings
-
unpretentious; lowly
a humble cottage
my humble opinion
-
deferential or servile
verb
-
to cause to become humble; humiliate
-
to lower in status
Synonym Usage
Humble, degrade, humiliate suggest lowering or causing to seem lower. To humble is to bring down the pride of another or to reduce them to a state of abasement: to humble an arrogant enemy. To degrade is to demote in rank or standing, or to reduce to a low level in dignity: to degrade an officer; to degrade oneself by lying. To humiliate is to make others feel or appear inadequate or unworthy, especially in some public setting: to humiliate a sensitive person.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
humblenessnoun
-
humblernoun
-
humbledadjective
-
humblingadjective
-
overhumbleadjective
-
quasi-humbleadjective
-
unhumbleadjective
-
humblinglyadverb
-
humblyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
humblesimple
-
humblessimple
-
have humbledperfect
-
has humbledperfect
-
am humblingprogressive
-
are humblingprogressive
-
is humblingprogressive
-
have been humblingperfect progressive
-
has been humblingperfect progressive
Past
-
humbledsimple
-
had humbledperfect
-
was humblingprogressive
-
were humblingprogressive
-
had been humblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of humble
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English (h)umble, from Old French, from Latin humilis “lowly, insignificant, on the ground”; see humus, -ile
Explanation
Humble means "modest; without an excess of pride." A person who brags about being humble may have too much pride in being humble to actually be humble. Sometimes fictional characters try to earn favor by saying "I'm just a humble man in search of..." when it is obvious they are the opposite. Truly humble people keep quiet about their accomplishments and the good things they do. Humble can also mean "low in station or quality." If you come from a humble background, you didn't grow up wealthy, and if you live in a humble apartment, it isn't overly grand or showy.
Vocabulary lists containing humble
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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.
See Examples For:
"I had very limited resources. I didn't have any investors behind me. I come from very humble beginnings."
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Across 12 experiments we conducted with our colleagues Sarah Moore and Mohamad Soltani with over 7,000 participants, these kinds of humble responses consistently outperformed both no response and responses that showed simply gratitude.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
How Steve Ballmer, the richest owner in sports, was caught dead to rights by a humble podcaster, and what lessons the media and public can take from courtside seats to the halls of power.
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026
That line of thinking quickly became dogma across the industry, leaving the humble bunt for dead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
He led the way down the winding street to a humble stone house, the grayed wooden door cracked and warped.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
Beijing has also set its sights on far humbler targets, Taiwanese officials say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Long before its buttery aroma seeped into the upholstery of American theaters, the snack lived a humbler life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
Finding only disappointment, she returned home humbler but no less determined.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2024
Expatriates from all corners of the earth make up the vast majority of the UAE’s population, and some have taken an interest in its humbler past.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 15, 2023
It ran half the length of the city and had become its most coveted real estate, never mind that much of it fell in humbler neighborhoods.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Dishwashers occupy one of the humblest rungs, but they are among the most badly needed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
Throckmorton’s shuttering occurred in the era before the internet conferred immortality to even the humblest of establishments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2024
Will, the humblest member of our group of five heroes, learned last episode that he is dying of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2024
"To the millions who tuned in every Sunday evening to watch The Antiques Roadshow, Henry was like a favourite uncle, whose enthusiasm for even the humblest piece of chipped china was infectious," John Sandon said.
From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2023
Everyone was there, from Queen Warbeak and Log-a-Log to Cornflower and Silent Sam, down to the humblest mouse.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
He has a flop with his film, “Big Top Pee-wee,” which humbles him.
From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2025
“Hard for me to accept that a once world-class athlete just stumbled. But age is the great equalizer and humbles us all.”
From Washington Times ● Dec. 18, 2023
“I’m lucky, and that’s something that’s not lost on me … I also recognize that this moment will pass, right? And that’s something that humbles me.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
Scheinert: It’s usually one hit each, but it humbles us and gets you out of your head.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2023
"Only a fool humbles himself when the world is so full of men eager to do that job for him."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Even for those who are highly skilled at making predictions, the surest bet is that you’ll be humbled eventually.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
"To be a beginner swimmer, you are humbled by the water," he says.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
I am humbled that you’d ask me for a third opinion.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
I'm "humbled that I'm getting to put Matthew back in cinema after six and a half years," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Warm, full, and humbled, I pushed back my plate.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
The knives were being sharpened on Maresca after a Community Shield humbling by Mikel Arteta's Gunners in August but City have responded in superb fashion with seven straight victories in all competitions.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
It was humbling to see how the AI got my friend to open up in a way that I hadn’t, and I recognized that its questions were much more helpful than my answers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
“This is a humbling day for us,” said McVay, who knows what’s coming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Birk said: "To have met Gracie again, full of life, is incredibly humbling."
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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