modesty

[ mod-uh-stee ]

/ ˈmɒd ə sti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR modesty ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural mod·es·ties.

the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc.

regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

simplicity; moderation.

Nearby words

modersohn-becker, modersohn-becker, paula, modest, modestly, modesto, modesty, modesty panel, modfet, modge, modgk, modheb

Origin of modesty

From the Latin word modestia, dating back to 1525–35. See modest, -y³

Related forms

o·ver·mod·est·y, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for modesty

Mapei is soft-spoken, but that should not be mistaken for modesty.
The Swedish Queen of Soulful Pop: Mapei Won’t Wait for You to Listen|Caitlin Dickson|October 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The very limitations that we understand as modesty are erased by this process.
Reading Prison Novels In Prison|Daniel Genis|May 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After Bates died, his successor at the RGS reflected, “I think his modesty was carried to a fault.”
Exploring the Amazon, While We Still Can|Darrell Hartman|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then again, my perception of modesty has been skewed ever since Katy Perry shot whip cream out of her bra, so who even knows.
Avril Lavigne’s Dumb ‘Hello Kitty’ Video Is Rife with Cultural Appropriation|Amy Zimmerman|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Valderrama's modest career is in direct contrast to his flagrant lack of modesty.
Why Women Want Hollywood Lothario Wilmer Valderrama|Amy Zimmerman|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rara est adeo concordia form / Atque pudiciti—So rare is the union of beauty with modesty.
Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources|James Wood
The modesty of Billy would probably have been shocked if he had heard the testimony of his fellows concerning him.
The Long Shadow|B. M. Bower
Peculiar among all dames and damosels glanced Blumine, there in her modesty, like a star among earthly lights.
Sartor Resartus, and On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History|Thomas Carlyle
One should experiment, then; modesty is more original than natural nowadays.
The Hypocrite|Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull
Some one has written: "It was a great day for fools when modesty was made a virtue."
The Deluge|David Graham Phillips

British Dictionary definitions for modesty

modesty

/ (ˈmɒdɪstɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the quality or condition of being modest

(modifier) designed to prevent inadvertent exposure of part of the bodya modesty flap

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

modesty

noun, plural mod·es·ties.

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Nearby words

Origin of modesty

Related forms

Examples from the Web for modesty

British Dictionary definitions for modesty

modesty

noun plural -ties