- present participle of humble.
humbling
Americanadjective
-
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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of humbling
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a humbling parallel, the team was recently relegated from Germany’s top soccer league.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
"It's a huge honour and incredibly humbling to be named on the King's Birthday Honours list," Scarratt said.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
It’s not merely trendy psychologizing to salute the qualities of a sturdy tree: a humbling reminder of time’s immensity, but also a living embodiment of shelter, change and growth.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
Christian described his experience as a humbling experience, saying: "It was a hard time, hard days, but many many people suffering more than me."
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
