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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
Their authors also each humble characters who cling to superficial social graces in an attempt to evade abjection.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 17 June 2026
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 June 2026
Getting an injury, that’s one thing that humbles you.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for humble
Adjective
It was founded in 1950 as a humble fruit stand off of Highway 40 by Sam and Sally Ikeda, Derek Ikeda’s grandparents.
—Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
Their authors also each humble characters who cling to superficial social graces in an attempt to evade abjection.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 17 June 2026
Verb
San Antonio has suffered a series of humbling tragicomedies, each more painful than the last.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 June 2026
Getting an injury, that’s one thing that humbles you.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for humble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humble
Adjective
-
Contrasting her with the meek, mysterious, and passive Anthy, the series examines the constrictions both men and women face via traditional gender roles, with an eye towards gender fluidity that remains radical today.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
-
The series centers on Cha Myung-jo, a meek worker at a company producing imitation character stickers who, despite nominally heading his household, lives in the shadow of his far more capable wife.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
-
The proposal was designed to help stabilize the state budget and eliminate a structural deficit through July 2028, while also protecting smaller businesses with lower tax liability.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
19 June 2026
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
Verb
-
Only the United States was humiliated; both countries have experienced a catastrophic loss.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
-
However, they were then humiliated 2-1, after extra time, by second division side Torreense in the final.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
At a billion scans a month, even modest rates imply hundreds of millions of ambiguous results a year, each one demanding a clinical decision and producing a worried customer.—
Gabriel Alin Zainescu,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Dial it over to Sport mode, and the VLE is properly perky, leaping forward with just a modest flex of your right ankle.—
Tim Stevens,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Put differently, only the lowly Colorado Rockies have a worse record than the Giants in the National League.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
-
Brazil finished a lowly fifth in CONMEBOL standings with just 28 points from 18 games, 10 points behind arch-rival Argentina which finished top.—
Emile Nuh,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
After years of abject failures, underachievement or agonising near-misses, Tuchel was hired to end England’s wait for a major international men’s trophy, which now extends to 60 years.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Our original predictions about the abject lack of viability have been proven regrettably accurate.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead, they are encouraged to view blue zones primarily through the lens of a sloppy critique that has already been discredited.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
20 June 2026
-
This doesn’t discredit the fact that mental and physical changes from menopause can be disorienting and jarring.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humble. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
