humbling

[huhm-bling, uhm-]

adjective

1. causing a person to feel less proud, especially through awe, admiration, or gratitude.

   This project has involved some exceptionally talented people and it’s been a humbling experience to work with them.

2. lowering a person’s status, power, dignity, confidence, etc..

   The 26:2 vote in favor of their opponents was indeed a humbling defeat.

noun

1. the act of affecting a person or thing in any of these ways, or the experience of being so affected.

   The Magna Carta marked the restoration of Anglo-Saxon freedom and the humbling of Norman tyranny.

Other Word Forms

• humblingly adverb
• self-humbling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of humbling¹

First recorded in 1540–50; humbl(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; humbl(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

An opening defeat by Brazil, a draw with Norway, a humbling by Morocco and another exit in the group stage.

Read more on BBC

Gregory Alldritt will captain France against Fiji in the Autumn Nations Series this weekend having been dropped for the humbling defeat to South Africa, the French Rugby Federation announced on Thursday.

Read more on Barron's

The Catch saved an otherwise humbling afternoon for the Hoosiers, now 10-0.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

John Aberth’s “Bringing up Beaver” is a fascinating—and deeply humbling—account of the lengths to which the author and his wife, Laura Hamilton, went to to accommodate one, then two, young beavers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As a father of eight from two marriages, he has long seen parenthood as the most humbling role of all.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• contempt 
• degradation 
• dishonor 
• disrespect 
• humiliation 
• ignominy 
• opprobrium 
• reproach 
• scorn 
• stigma