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

From humble beginnings growing up on a cattle ranch in Nogales, Arizona on the border with Mexico, the 66-year-old has saddled five Kentucky Derby winners and two Triple Crown champions in American Pharaoh and Justify in his illustrious career. — Rob Hodgetts And Aly Vance, CNN, "Top trainer Bob Baffert: 'Once horses get in your blood, you can't get out'," 6 June 2019 The accomplishment is a far cry from his humble beginnings. — Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, "Forbes names Jay-Z the first hip-hop billionaire," 3 June 2019 In recent years, Barbie has branched out beyond her humble beginnings, offering updated versions including a doll with wheelchair and a prosthetic leg. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Barbie Is Being Given the Board of Directors’ Tribute at the CFDA Awards," 16 May 2019 The original building had humble beginnings as a coaching inn and hosted French kings — including Napoleon — en route to Reims for their coronation. — Samantha Tse, Allure, "I Went to the Champagne Region in France to Get a Facial and My Skin Has Never Looked Better," 26 Mar. 2019 Democrats have broadly opposed calls for transforming the legal immigration system to one based on merit, saying the country has a strong tradition of welcoming people of all types and a history of immigrants rising from humble beginnings. — Alex Leary, WSJ, "Trump Signals Willingness to Negotiate on Skilled Foreign Workers," 4 Jan. 2019 My own thoughts have been along the line of weak, unassertive, super humble and timid. — Glenna Christensen, idahostatesman, "True meekness requires self-mastery and strength, and doesn't equate to weakness," 14 June 2018 Friends and family have described Hausknecht as a humble and generous man who was adored by his patients, volunteered in his community and cared about the environment. — Fox News, "Police: Suspect in Bush's doctor's death killed himself," 3 Aug. 2018 Beauty Products 14 Slides In my humble opinion, a towel can make or break a relaxing bathing experience. — Allure, "14 Soft, Fluffy Bath Towels That Feel as Luxurious as They Look," 26 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

After being humbled by the lowly Miami Marlins two days in a row, the Milwaukee Brewers bounced back Thursday with their usual home run power. — Tom Kertscher, sun-sentinel.com, "Ex-Marlin Yelich’s home run key in preventing Miami sweep in Milwaukee," 6 June 2019 Not going to wait until tomorrow to express my love for the one that humbles me women crush (not only on Wednesday’s) but every day. — Fox News, "Britney Spears' boyfriend Sam Asghari gushes about her in loving Instagram post," 2 Oct. 2018 If life is designed to humble us in the face of time, there is joy in that humility. — Dave Shiflett, WSJ, "‘Been So Long’ Review: Born to Wander," 7 Sep. 2018 Not going to wait until tomorrow to express my love for the one that humbles me. — Melody Chiu, PEOPLE.com, "Britney Spears Keeps Cool Poolside in the Scorching Heat with Boyfriend Sam Asghari," 6 July 2018 As his friends would later discover, this love meant more than humbling themselves to wash feet, more than healing the sick and casting out demons. — Atlanta Life, ajc, "Marveling at the abundance of divine love in the Bible," 6 Apr. 2018 The process of getting back into the gym was humbling. — Marie Claire, "Katelyn Ohashi Takes a Bow," 19 Apr. 2019 Any flickering hope that LeBron James joining the Los Angeles Lakers would humble, or at least quiet, Lonzo’s carnival barker father, LaVar, has been doused the past few days. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, "LaVar Ball's latest bluster shows Los Angeles Lakers need to trade Lonzo Ball," 5 July 2018 Brianna, a high honor student, was always humbled when recognized throughout her life for her academic and athletic excellence. — courant.com, "Brianna H. Mailloux," 24 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.