humble
adjective
not proud or arrogant; modest.
had been humbling
-
past perfect progressiveof humble.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
Its chair Grant Thorburn said the officers' deaths had "hit home hard" and that seeing the tributes and donations paid to them had been "humbling".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Making the nine-episode series — a surrealist caper about two impaired friends whose psychiatrist goes missing — had been a nearly yearlong labor of love, but early signals from the market had been humbling.
From New York Times ● Jun. 12, 2023
The healing process had been humbling, she told me, a lesson in how to suffer with grace.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 8, 2019
Mrs Sutton said the response to her son's "courageous and inspirational" campaign had been "humbling".
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2014
The eighteen months or so before the call from Ingvall had been humbling.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 26, 2013
