humble

adjective

hum·ble | \ ˈhəm-bəl also chiefly Southern ˈəm-

humbler\ ˈhəm-b(ə-)lər

\; humblest\ ˈhəm-b(ə-)ləst

Definition of humble

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive

2 : reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission a humble apology

3a : ranking low in a hierarchy or scale : insignificant, unpretentious

b : not costly or luxurious a humble contraption

humble

verb

hum·ble | \ ˈhəm-bəl also chiefly Southern ˈəm-

humbled; humbling\ ˈhəm-b(ə-)liŋ

Definition of humble (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to make (someone) humble (see humble entry 1) in spirit or manner

2 : to destroy the power, independence, or prestige of

Other Words from humble Synonyms & Antonyms Humility: Its Use and Meaning More Example Sentences Learn More about humble

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Other Words from humble

Adjective

humbleness \ ˈhəm-bəl-nəs

\ noun

humbly \ ˈhəm-blē

\ adverb

Verb

humbler \ ˈhəm-b(ə-)lər

\ noun

humblingly \ ˈhəm-b(ə-)liŋ-lē

\ adverb

Humility: Its Use and Meaning

Humility means “the state of being humble.” Both it and humble have their origin in the Latin word humilis, meaning "low."

Humble can be used to describe what is ranked low by others, as in "persons of humble origins." People also use the word of themselves and things associated with themselves; if you describe yourself as "but a humble editor" or refer to your home as your "humble abode," you are saying that neither you nor your home is very impressive.

Like this latter use of humble, the kind of lowness expressed in the word humility is typically one chosen by oneself. Here are some examples of humility in use:

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
— Proverbs 11:2

A sudden humility descended upon the King. He felt, as so many men were to feel in similar circumstances in ages to come, as though he were a child looking eagerly for guidance to an all-wise master—a child, moreover, handicapped by water on the brain, feet three sizes too large for him, and hands consisting mainly of thumbs.
— P. G. Wodehouse, The Clicking of Cuthbert, 1922

Eating grits and fatback for breakfast and washing up every morning in cold water from a hydrant in the backyard helped one learn humility and humanity.
— Julius Lester, Falling Pieces of Broken Sky, 1990

I realize now that she had an awareness of the nature of the order of life, and of the necessity of living with and respecting that order. With this respect comes a necessary humility that we, with our early-21st-century chutzpah, lack at our peril.
— Bill Joy, Wired, April 2000

Who has not gazed at the night sky, mouth slightly agape? The experience is so common, its effects so uniform, that a standard vocabulary has evolved to describe it. Invariably we speak of the profound humility we feel before the enormity of the universe. We are as bits of dust in a spectacle whose scope beggars the imagination, whose secrets make a mockery of reason.
— Edwin Dobb, Harper's, February 1995

If leadership has a secret sauce, it may well be humility. A humble boss understands that there are things he doesn't know. He listens: not only to the other bigwigs in Davos, but also to the kind of people who don't get invited, such as his customers.
—The Economist, 26 Jan. 2013

For many, the lowness in both humility and humble is something worth cultivating.

Examples of humble in a Sentence

Adjective

Humble though it may be, and about as glamorous as a galosh, it is a fish that has shaped the political and social history of Europe like no other, with the possible exception of cod. — R. W. Apple, Jr., New York Times, 30 Oct. 2002 She would not come closer to me, as much as I thought she wished to, hungering not for anything like love but for plain, humble succor. — Chang-rae Lee, A Gesture Life, 1999 Women are the organizing soft-centered socialists, the nice people, the sugar-and-spice lot, identifying with the poor and humble; men are snips and snails and puppy-dog tails, and rampant, selfish, greedy capitalists. — Fay Weldon, Harper's, May 1998 Despite all his achievements, he has remained humble. He is very humble about his achievements. She is too humble to let praise go to her head. Please accept my humble apologies. Her humble suggestion is that we review the data more carefully. He comes from a humble background. She's not ashamed of her humble beginnings.

Verb

Cuba's reliance on tourism is a somewhat humbling turn for the revolution, which has long prided itself on producing topflight doctors and teachers—not concierges. — Tim Padgett, Time, 22 Dec. 2003 … audiences loved to see villains punished and arrogant young men humbled, they did not want to fidget and squirm through mea culpas before the final scene. — Elaine Showalter, Civilization, April/May 1999 It frightened and humbled him but also made him feel darkly charmed. — Don DeLillo, Mao II, 1991 Her success has humbled her critics. Last year's champion was humbled by an unknown newcomer.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Hawaiian Airlines From its humble beginnings as an island puddle-jumper, Hawaiian is now girdling half the globe with New York-Honolulu nonstops and flights from its hub to Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti. — Barbara Peterson, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best U.S. Airlines: 2018 Readers' Choice Awards," 9 Oct. 2018 Not so for your humble critics!) Of course, early reviewers aren’t completely isolated from other players. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Observations and lessons from two decades of writing about video games," 25 Nov. 2018 If that can keep you humble, don't be scared and jump in. — Mark Z. Barabak, latimes.com, "L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti on running for president, not running and his favorite jazz pianists," 14 Apr. 2018 Inside is no less humble, and restaurants and bars often feel rich and handsome with dark finishes, plush chairs, and slick views. — Keith Flanagan, Condé Nast Traveler, "35 Best Hotels in Tokyo," 28 Feb. 2018 Handcrafted, American-made, timeless, humble, familial, utilitarian and whimsical, these offerings seemed to be the perfect material incarnation of my notion of holiday spirit, all yummy goodness and light. — Sally Singer, Vogue, "10 Holiday Gifts That Dazzle, Then Largely Disappear," 29 Nov. 2018 And high fashion hasn’t given up on garnering the same kind of ubiquity for the humble, sad man sandal. — Liz Raiss, GQ, "This Summer's Best Sandals Got the Big Ugly Sneaker Treatment," 4 July 2018 At a minimum, the Politico story will undercut any effort by Garrett to depict himself as a humble public servant his own self — instead of a petty despot who humiliates kids. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Embattled Congressman Accused of Turning Staff Into His Personal Servants," 25 May 2018 Detective Danielle Harrison Detective Danielle Harrison is a 15-year veteran with a reputation for being humble, encouraging, compassionate and dedicated to the Detroit Police Department. — Brandon Patterson, Detroit Free Press, "How these 20 women are protecting Detroiters every day," 23 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But his no-nonsense, hands-on training regimen transformed the Continental Army into a skilled fighting force that humbled the British when the Americans emerged from their winter cantonment with the decisive triumph at Monmouth. — Peter Cozzens, WSJ, "‘Valley Forge’ Review: In the Bleak Midwinter," 21 Dec. 2018 This would be humbling for a proud man like Mr. Erdogan to accept, but the irony is that linking to the dollar would be his best protection against the unpredictable policies of Mr. Trump. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "A Lifeline for Turkey," 12 Aug. 2018 Argenta said she was humbled because Halkias, a younger teacher, nominated her. — Carole Carlson, Post-Tribune, "Salk educator meshes teaching and advocacy," 31 May 2018 We were continuously humbled by how enthusiastic people were to host us, and this generosity saved us roughly $7,000 in housing costs. — Alexandra Brown, SELF, "7 Steps I Took to Afford Taking a Year Off to Travel the World," 21 Nov. 2018 Carson is forced to retire and passes the torch to a humbled Thomas. — Tom Fitzgerald And Lorenzo Marquez, Town & Country, "The 10 Best Downton Abbey Episodes," 12 Sep. 2018 But after an awful outing on May 24, a humbled Hernandez went to Stottlemyre and asked for help. — Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times, "Twitter mailbag: Will Felix Hernandez pitch in the postseason if the Mariners make it? Cano to first base? And Magnum P.I.?," 9 July 2018 After cruising to a 1-0 lead over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference first-round series, the Sixers were humbled at home in a Game 2 loss. — Keith Pompey, Philly.com, "Sixers, returning home for Game 5, look to close out series vs. Heat," 23 Apr. 2018 Barcelona would remain top of La Liga, but their lead would be reduced to just goal difference after being humbled at home. — SI.com, "Barcelona vs Valencia Preview: Classic Encounter, Key Battle, Team News & More," 13 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'humble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.