humbling

[ huhm-bling, uhm- ]

/ ˈhʌm blɪŋ, ˈʌm- /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: humbling / humblings on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

lowering a person’s status, power, dignity, confidence, etc.:The 26:2 vote in favor of their opponents was indeed a humbling defeat.

noun

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.

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of humbling

humbl(e) + -ing² for the adjective senses; humbl(e) + -ing¹ for the noun sense

OTHER WORDS FROM humbling

hum·bling·ly, adverbself-hum·bling, adjective

Words nearby humbling

humblebrag, humbled, humbleness, humble pie, humble plant, humbling, humbly, Humboldt, Humboldt Bay, Humboldt Current, Humboldt Peak

How to use humbling in a sentence

Obese mice given HUMBLE or brown cells now weighed 20 percent more.
Gene editing can alter body fat and may fight diabetes|Silke Schmidt|October 23, 2020|Science News For Students
This week Natasha was on vacation, so Danny and your humble servant had to endeavor alone.
No-code is the new blockchain|Alex Wilhelm|October 8, 2020|TechCrunch
Yesterday Ocean Spray was humbled to gift Nathan with something of importance to him— a truck we knew he needed.
The Skateboarding, Cranberry Juice-Sipping TikToker Was Given a New Truck by Ocean Spray|Jaya Saxena|October 8, 2020|Eater
If the idea that Darwin humbled us has become canonical, what is less often observed is the fact that the newfound humility was, in certain important respects, misleading—and dangerously so.
The Human Error Darwin Inspired - Issue 90: Something Green|Aaron Hirsh|September 30, 2020|Nautilus

In June, Paul attacked Fauci for not being more optimistic about the coronavirus, saying that Fauci wasn’t the “end-all” and that he should be more humble about what he didn’t know.
Fauci finally loses his patience with Rand Paul|Aaron Blake|September 23, 2020|Washington Post
To be the very first moment that we see on an episode of The Good Wife was quite a compliment and very humbling.
How Carrie Preston Became The Good Wife’s Favorite Scene Stealer|Kevin Fallon|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Humbling focuses on Simon Axler (Pacino), a veteran stage actor who loses the desire to act.
Al Pacino Does What He Wants to Do: 'The Humbling,' Scorsese, and That 'Scarface' Remake|Alex Suskind|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Perry called his failed 2012 bid for the GOP nomination “painful” and “humbling.”
Rick Perry, Humbled by His ‘Oops,’ May Be Ready This Time|Eleanor Clift|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The messy, complex, non-linear movement of actual history, by contrast, is unsettling, humbling—even terrifying.
How ‘Cosmos’ Bungles the History of Religion and Science|David Sessions|March 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But it is a humbling reminder of how moral campaigns are actually won: with more than simple appeals to the heart.
How Blacks Freed Themselves from Slavery|Eric Herschthal|February 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No small part of those energies in the business district were devoted to humbling the rival, in the matter of commerce.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
I don't believe Marian needs humbling; one can't help liking her; and she's ever so good to look at.
A Hoosier Chronicle|Meredith Nicholson
She had succumbed to the monster, humbling herself below animals; and now she loved a hero, aspiring to the semi-divine.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Volume XXI|Robert Louis Stevenson
It was a strange picture—this brilliant beauty, forgetful of pride and station, humbling herself to a poor candle seller.
Through the Wall|Cleveland Moffett
Considering his late successes, we are surprised at his thus humbling himself to his foe.
The Cambrian Sketch-Book|R. Rice Davies