modesty
Americannoun
plural
modesties-
the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc.
-
regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
-
simplicity; moderation.
noun
-
the quality or condition of being modest
-
(modifier) designed to prevent inadvertent exposure of part of the body
a modesty flap
Other Word Forms
- overmodesty noun
Etymology
Origin of modesty
From the Latin word modestia, dating back to 1525–35. See modest, -y 3
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.
His quiet tone is not shyness or false modesty but circumspection and a sense of boundaries that imply respect and love for real communication.
From Los Angeles Times
He urged employees to also show modesty with pension funds and their other clients.
As I began talking with them about the years of advocacy that followed, Patricia’s modesty blushed.
From Los Angeles Times
"I understand completely. Some things a man simply cannot do. I suggest you turn your back, Marlie. Then modesty can be preserved, and we can all get warm without delay."
From Literature
Faith and modesty were qualities in all Heynis’s performances, delivered in a plaintive and haunting tone that is not quite like any other.
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.
