humble
Americanadjective
-
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)
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
-
humblyadverb
-
humblenessnoun
-
humblinglyadverb
-
humbledadjective
-
humblernoun
-
overhumbleadjective
-
unhumbleadjective
-
quasi-humbleadjective
-
humblingadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has humbledperfect 3rd person singular
-
have humbledperfect
-
am humblingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been humblingperfect progressive
-
are humblingprogressive
-
is humblingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
humblessingular 3rd person
-
humblingparticiple
-
has been humblingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had humbledperfect
-
were humblingprogressive plural
-
was humblingprogressive singular
-
humbledsimple
-
had been humblingperfect progressive
-
humbledparticiple
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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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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.
“In Japan, being humble is … really important,” Sasaki said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
And it’s not just diesel: Climate change, inflation and tariffs have all caused the base of Italian food — the humble tomato — to skyrocket nearly 40% over last year.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
"It wasn't arrogance. It was just huge confidence and he had a mindset where he was always determined and very humble."
From BBC • May 29, 2026
Unknown but cheerful in his obscurity stands a humble wedding singer, Rick Power, warmly played by Paul Rudd with his patented earnest sweetness.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
As humble a product as it was, sponges were extremely important to those who bought them and profitable to those who harvested them.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
Definitions 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.
