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
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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
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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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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of humble
Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
Laxness combines folklore and myth with humble details of the natural world in this delightful novel.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Essence, 5 Jan. 2026
Both left office humbled, burdened with lousy poll numbers and facing a well of deep voter discontent.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humble
Adjective
The Braddock’s culinary journey began in 2012 with humble beginnings.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
Laxness combines folklore and myth with humble details of the natural world in this delightful novel.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
At every turn, there’s someone trying to humble a woman.
—Essence, 5 Jan. 2026
Both left office humbled, burdened with lousy poll numbers and facing a well of deep voter discontent.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humble
Adjective
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Just a meek statement requesting support for peaceful protest from the same regime that will imprison its citizens even for the thought of it.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2026
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Born in a stable among animals, Jesus entered the world humble and meek, not with the grandeur of a king.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
25 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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There’s a reason the brand’s clothing and accessories are always going viral, and now’s the time to take advantage of the low prices.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
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The Trojans were without 6-foot-1 starting guard Kennedy Smith, who is currently day-to-day with a lower leg injury, for the third game in a row.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
After all, the deal — for a long-forsaken project, an action-comedy franchise starring two aging stars — underscores the servile fealty of new Paramount owners Larry and David Ellison amid their recent maneuvering to take control of TikTok and Warner Bros. Discovery (the latter seemingly futile).—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Dec. 2025
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Earlier this year, my colleague and bud Kelefa Sanneh suggested that music critics, as a lot, have gone soft—becoming submissive, overly agreeable, and, in some cases, nearly servile.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
And videotaping it to humiliate them.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Dec. 2025
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She had never been arrested before and felt humiliated when her mugshot was plastered all over the news after her arrest.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Some clerics control enormous charitable foundations worth billions of dollars through donations from followers and budgets from the state, while others operate modest local mosques with minimal resources.—
Narges Bajoghli,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Home prices in California are expected to rise in 2026, according to real estate experts — but the increase will be modest compared to that in past years.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And the team’s 13–6 loss to the lowly Cleveland Browns in Week 17, during which Rodgers did not reach a hundred passing yards until late in the third quarter.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
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Stefanski checks a lot of boxes for the Giants, as a two-time Coach of the Year who led the lowly Browns to the playoffs twice in his first four seasons in Cleveland.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And the difference between absolutely nailing a passage and creating a feeling of transcendent gloriousness in the concert hall and abject failure is usually about a millimeter.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
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The quarterfinal round morphed into an abject embarrassment when Texas Tech, which dominated the Big 12 during the regular season, lost decisively (23-0) to the Big Ten’s third-place finisher, Oregon.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Politically, the regime has rotted from within, discarding, discrediting, or detaining its own kind.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
-
In this case, focusing on a dress versus the altruistic work Turner is doing feels like an attempt to discredit that very noble work.—
Essence,
Essence,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humble. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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