humbly
Americanadverb
-
in a way that is not proud or arrogant; modestly.
He humbly accepted the award on behalf of his friends and colleagues.
-
in a way that shows insignificance, inferiority, or subservience.
I made my suggestions humbly, realizing the vast experience of the others in the room.
-
in a respectfully courteous way.
I humbly request that you give us some time to discuss this privately.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of humbly
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.
Stotler humbly acknowledged the venue’s good fortune to be included on the very short list of people and organizations invited to preview the record, a relatively recent development.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
Gonzalez had a close relationship with Rodri and long humbly recognised that only a select number of players can start in his position at clubs bidding to challenge for the biggest honours.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
To help you kick back, I’d humbly suggest:
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
That pocket of London has produced, if I may humbly put myself in that bracket, myself, but also Dev Patel, Jay Paul, Jay Sean and Jay Shetty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
“You may leave us,” said the Hamadryad to the Brown Bear who, after bowing humbly, ran off with his cap in his hand to where all the other animals were congregating round Mary Poppins.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
