humbling

American  

[huhm-bling, uhm-] / ˈhʌm blɪŋ, ˈʌm- /

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.

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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

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

The Northern Irishman was jeered on every throw by the Dublin crowd as he suffered a 6-0 humbling at the hands of a ruthless Price.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

For Jameson Norris, Cheryl Norris’s 35-year-old son who works gig jobs like ride-share driving, the prospect of inheriting his mom’s homes with his sister is both a relief and humbling.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

The Knicks' victory was a rebound from a humbling loss to Detroit with a gutsy victory that put them back into a tie for third place in the East.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

He described the day the recall against him qualified for the ballot amid the COVID-19 pandemic as humbling and humiliating, though it later failed by a wide margin.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026

For a writer, there’s nothing more humbling than to be at a loss for words.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

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