humble
[huhm-buhl, uhm-]
- not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful.
- having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc.: In the presence of so many world-famous writers I felt very humble.
- low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.; lowly: of humble origin; a humble home.
- courteously respectful: In my humble opinion you are wrong.
- low in height, level, etc.; small in size: a humble member of the galaxy.
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- to lower in condition, importance, or dignity; abase.
- to destroy the independence, power, or will of.
- to make meek: to humble one's heart.
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Origin of humble
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com1. unpretending, unpretentious. 2. submissive, meek. 3. unassuming, plain, common, poor. 4. polite. 6. mortify, shame, abash. 7. subdue, crush, break.
Synonym study
7. Humble, degrade, humiliate suggest lowering or causing to seem lower. To humble is to bring down the pride of another or to reduce him or her to a state of abasement: to humble an arrogant enemy. To degrade is to demote in rank or standing, or to reduce to a low level in dignity: to degrade an officer; to degrade oneself by lying. To humiliate is to make others feel or appear inadequate or unworthy, especially in some public setting: to humiliate a sensitive person.
Antonyms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for humbly
Contemporary Examples
And much of it, unlike Pappy, is right there on the shelf, humbly, quietly waiting to be tried.
In his Twitter handle Spencer now humbly refers to himself as an “international thought criminal.”
To any other journalists interested in following up on our mission, I humbly offer one piece of advice.
He has insisted on living as simply and humbly as a pope can.
But I humbly suggest that there are some matters on which there should not a statute of limitations.
Historical Examples
He must go and humbly he must ask for the loan of a small sum of money.
Ancient ManHendrik Willem van Loon
I humbly apprehend, that Mr. Solmes has the spirit of a man, and a gentleman.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
In this dedication of a Nation we humbly ask the blessing of God.
"Ach, no," said he humbly; for he could not look upon my face and hold his anger.
The Bacillus of BeautyHarriet Stark
But, Sir, from your pen let me have an answer; I humbly implore it of you.
Clarissa, Volume 2 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
humble
- conscious of one's failings
- unpretentious; lowlya humble cottage; my humble opinion
- deferential or servile
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- to cause to become humble; humiliate
- to lower in status
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Word Origin
C13: from Old French, from Latin humilis low, from humus the ground
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for humbly
humble
adj.
mid-13c., from Old French humble, earlier humele, from Latin humilis "lowly, humble," literally "on the ground," from humus "earth." Senses of "not self-asserting" and "of low birth or rank" were both in Middle English Related: Humbly; humbleness.
Don't be so humble; you're not that great. [Golda Meir]
To eat humble pie (1830) is from umble pie (1640s), pie made from umbles "edible inner parts of an animal" (especially deer), considered a low-class food. The similar sense of similar-sounding words (the "h" of humble was not pronounced then) converged in the pun. Umbles, meanwhile, is Middle English numbles "offal" (with loss of n- through assimilation into preceding article).
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humble
v.
late 14c. in the intransitive sense of "to render oneself humble;" late 15c. in the transitive sense of "to lower (someone) in dignity;" see humble (adj.). Related: Humbled; humbling.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with humbly
humble
see eat crow (humble pie).
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.