modestly
Americanadverb
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reflecting a moderate or humble estimate of one’s merits, importance, etc.; not boastfully.
He modestly puts all of his success down to timing.
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in a way that is free from showy extravagance; not ostentatiously.
For a billionaire, he lives rather modestly in a home he bought decades ago.
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in a way that shows regard for decency in behavior, speech, dress, etc..
When visiting religious sites, avoid offense by dressing modestly: cover your shoulders, torsos, and thighs.
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within reasonable limits; moderately.
A modestly priced economy car may be more appropriate for your teenage driver.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of modestly
Explanation
To do something modestly is to do it in a humble way, without showing off. After her play's successful opening night, a playwright might choose to sit modestly in the audience rather than going on stage to bow. When you act in an unpretentious way, you act modestly, and when you do something in the simplest way possible, you also do it modestly. The adjective modest can mean both "humble" and "small." Modesty and modest come from the Latin modestia, "sense of honor," or "correctness of conduct," from the root word modus, "measure or manner."
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.
Studies suggest that periodontal therapy -- professional treatment that removes plaque, tartar, and infection below the gumline -- can modestly lower HbA1c levels.
From Science Daily • May 16, 2026
Like hypersonic travel, Fleming says, these trips at first will be accessible only to the ultrawealthy, but by the 2040s, as launch costs fall, that market could expand modestly.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
U.S. retail sales rose, but only modestly if higher prices at gas pumps are taken out of the equation.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
April retail sales are expected to rebound modestly, overall consumption remains weak, ANZ added.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
All three turned to him, and their own daemons too, who had until then affected the extreme politeness of keeping their eyes modestly away from this singular creature, here without his body.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
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.
