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.
Duggan said the win was "extraordinary, unexpected and humbling".
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Considered a title threat, Oregon was coming off a humbling loss to Oklahoma State, which won a single game last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The knives were being sharpened on Maresca after a Community Shield humbling by Mikel Arteta's Gunners in August but City have responded in superb fashion with seven straight victories in all competitions.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
It was humbling to see how the AI got my friend to open up in a way that I hadn’t, and I recognized that its questions were much more helpful than my answers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
No doubt he meant for it to be humbling, but Tyrion enjoyed the needlework.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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