humble
[huhm-buh l, uhm-]
- not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful.
- having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc.: In the presence of so many world-famous writers I felt very humble.
- low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.; lowly: of humble origin; a humble home.
- courteously respectful: In my humble opinion you are wrong.
- low in height, level, etc.; small in size: a humble member of the galaxy.
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- to lower in condition, importance, or dignity; abase.
- to destroy the independence, power, or will of.
- to make meek: to humble one's heart.
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Origin of humble
Synonyms
See more synonyms for humble on Thesaurus.com1. unpretending, unpretentious. 2. submissive, meek. 3. unassuming, plain, common, poor. 4. polite. 6. mortify, shame, abash. 7. subdue, crush, break.
Synonym study
7. Humble, degrade, humiliate suggest lowering or causing to seem lower. To humble is to bring down the pride of another or to reduce him or her 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.
Antonyms
1, 2. proud. 3. noble, exalted. 4. rude, insolent. 6. elevate. 8. exalt.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for humble
Contemporary Examples
What matters is being honest, humble, and a faithful and loyal friend, father and member of your community.
They are to face oppression with humble persistence and absolute conviction.
Abramoff said that the governor needed to remember to “be humble.”
His goal of coming across as humble subtracts from his ability to share just exactly how he became so great at such a young age.
They'll take your jobs (never mind that you don't want to do the burdensome and humble jobs they are willing to do)!
Historical Examples
The haughtiness of others can never make us angry, if we ourselves are humble.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
Will you go down, and humble that stubborn spirit of yours to your mamma?
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
He was no longer the fairy godmother's devoted and humble factotum.
VivietteWilliam J. Locke
But do you think I will rob my sister of her humble servant?
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
This says nothing of the quality of my work, which, humble as it may be, is simply the best I know how to do.
The Conquest of FearBasil King
humble
- conscious of one's failings
- unpretentious; lowlya humble cottage; my humble opinion
- deferential or servile
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- to cause to become humble; humiliate
- to lower in status
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Word Origin
C13: from Old French, from Latin humilis low, from humus the ground
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for humble
adj.
mid-13c., from Old French humble, earlier humele, from Latin humilis "lowly, humble," literally "on the ground," from humus "earth." Senses of "not self-asserting" and "of low birth or rank" were both in Middle English Related: Humbly; humbleness.
Don't be so humble; you're not that great. [Golda Meir]
To eat humble pie (1830) is from umble pie (1640s), pie made from umbles "edible inner parts of an animal" (especially deer), considered a low-class food. The similar sense of similar-sounding words (the "h" of humble was not pronounced then) converged in the pun. Umbles, meanwhile, is Middle English numbles "offal" (with loss of n- through assimilation into preceding article).
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v.
late 14c. in the intransitive sense of "to render oneself humble;" late 15c. in the transitive sense of "to lower (someone) in dignity;" see humble (adj.). Related: Humbled; humbling.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with humble
humble
see eat crow (humble pie).
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.