humbleness
Americannoun
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the quality or state of being modest and lacking in pride or arrogance.
We need to teach a different kind of leadership, one where humbleness is more important than confidence.
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the quality or state of being or feeling low in rank, importance, status, worth, etc.
We observed the humbleness of the local homes, but also the hard-working ethic of the people who lived in them.
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the quality or state of being courteously respectful.
Respect and humbleness will get you far in dealing with people from other places and cultures.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of humbleness
Compare meaning
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Explanation
Humbleness is a quality of being modest or unpretentious. Your humbleness is what keeps you from bragging about all the places you've traveled and the many languages you speak. True humbleness is characterized by humility and a certain quietness or reserve. Showing off, exaggerating your accomplishments, and refusing to listen to other people's advice and opinions are all the opposite of humbleness. Sometimes this noun is also used to mean an ordinary or lowly state: "The humbleness of her upbringing made paying for college a struggle."
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.
Inside Novo’s offices, factories and headquarters — which is designed in the shape of an insulin molecule — a Danish ethos of humbleness rules, analysts and former employees say.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Ding’s cheerful reign offers an answer to what “Jeopardy!” fans want from their champs: strict adherence to an unwritten code that starts with humbleness and deference to the game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Looks-wise, he had a humbleness that allowed him play to cops, working men and the president of the United States.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2025
The fact that she doesn't have biological children might not have been weaponized as a rebuke of her "humbleness."
From Salon ● Nov. 6, 2024
Making all that show of humbleness and scorning him all the time!
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
