humble 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhəm-bəl How to pronounce humble (audio)
Definition of humblenext
1
as in meek
not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness a medical scientist who remained remarkably humble even after winning the Nobel Prize even though she'd been proven wrong, her attitude was still far from humble

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2
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank a humble peasant girl who claimed she was chosen by God to restore the French king to his throne

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3
as in servile
showing, expressing, or offered in a spirit of humility or unseemly submissiveness please accept my humble thanks for this unexpected favor

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humble

2 of 2

verb

ˈhəm-bəl How to pronounce humble (audio)
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes Philip was utterly humbled by a crushing defeat in the first round of the state chess tournament

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of humble
Adjective
Despite a multi-million dollar Netflix deal and a $100 million iHeart contract, Bones emphasizes his humble beginnings and not being money-motivated. — Joshua Dudley, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 These humble creatures can tread water for three days, leap four feet, and squeeze through holes as small as a quarter. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
Copycat protests sprang up in other major Indian cities—Kolkata, Mumbai and Patna—lending the Gen Z protests the aura of a nationwide youth resistance that would humble Modi and force his education minister to resign. — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026 That isn’t enough to humble our black-eyed lout, but spending a few months as a dishwasher at The Flagship in exchange for getting to sleep on the head chef’s hammock soon will. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for humble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humble
  1. meek
  2. low
  3. servile
  4. humiliate
  5. modest
  6. lowly
  7. abject
  8. discredit
Adjective
  • Howard recruited Winkler to star in his 1982 comedy Night Shift, as a meek morgue worker whose life is radicalized by a new hire played by Michael Keaton.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Closer to home, Liverpool have shown the pitfalls of an expensive facelift, splurging record sums on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak last summer only to free-fall from champions to a meek fifth-place finish.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of meek
Adjective
  • Structural inflation, fueled by government deficits, AI investments, low unemployment rates, growing trade barriers and energy disruptions, is reshaping the landscape for markets, according to Fidelity International.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The low-molecular-weight collagen seeps into your skin as an in-office treatment would, reducing the size of pores and lifting saggy, crepey skin.
    — Essence Wiley, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of low
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, Trump takes servile flattery as his due.
    — Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
  • Of course, all of this convenient acquiescence will sound familiar in the United States, where our own Congress and Department of Justice have been nothing if not servile to a brazenly corrupt executive.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of servile
Verb
  • Much of the behavior on display is plainly harassment and bullying, often filmed without the subjects’ knowledge or consent and uploaded online to humiliate them further.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026
  • In their first national title game, the Wildcats humiliated Oklahoma in the national semifinal by 44, and in their second, demoralized Michigan in the title game by 17.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Adjective
  • One of the newest members of the billionaire club, Scale AI cofounder Lucy Guo, is a more recent example of someone whose spending habits have remained relatively modest as her fortune has soared.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The United States, for its part, has made modest efforts to repair the relationship.
    — C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of modest
Adjective
  • On Sunday, the Sydney Swans — who are second in the AFL — won their penultimate game of the regular season at lowly Essendon, a club based in Melbourne.
    — Michael Bailey, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Except the A’s—who, for their part, had finished the month of July with a lowly record of 5–19—won the next game, too.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of lowly
Adjective
  • But one price for all, a concept conceived by the Quakers, who believed that charging different prices to different people was morally abject, became commonplace.
    — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • He was born in abject poverty in rural Georgia, Pin Point, Georgia.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of abject
Verb
  • In trying to discredit public concerns about data centers as a psyop, Goldman and others said, tech leaders are taking a page out of the intelligence playbook themselves.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Inflicting these details on the jury, the children’s family members, and the public served no discernible purpose in establishing Clancy’s mens rea, which might have discredited her not-guilty plea.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of discredit

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Cite this Entry

“Humble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humble. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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