humble 1 of 2

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
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

humble

2 of 2

verb

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
This is the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 May 2025 In a society that often equates American influence with might or money or celebrity, now our foremost representative on the global stage is a humble man in white robes, preaching love, justice, and mercy. Christopher Hale, Time, 9 May 2025
Verb
There are dozens of anecdotes about humbling first jobs and dealing with rejection. Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025 Unsurprisingly, the two years in Russia humbled him. Kara Warner, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for humble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humble
Adjective
  • According to the latest report from L.A.’s film office, production days on location decreased more than 22 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared with an already meek period in 2024.
    Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2025
  • Democrats, unable either to diagnose or to admit to their own failings, measured their victories in the meekest of triumphs, and seemed to have lost all sense of purpose, direction, and proportion.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • That high prices foretell lower prices rates more discussion as Republicans and conservatives rush to anoint former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh as the next Fed Chairman.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • That's why the ratings, the approval numbers of the media are so low.
    CBS News, CBS News, 4 May 2025
Adjective
  • So Alex dons a uniform, buses tables and engages in servile labor for the first time in her life.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Trump’s servile devotion to Putin becomes the new norm overnight as Republicans cower in support of Trump’s new Putin policy.
    Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In a display of brute aggression, cartel operatives humiliated Mexican officials by forcing the government to release Mr. Guzmán López shortly after he was captured.
    Alan Feuer, New York Times, 7 May 2025
  • But in Trump’s White House, the goal may be simpler—and harder: not getting humiliated.
    Nik Popli, Time, 5 May 2025
Adjective
  • The news sent stock indexes to their highest levels in weeks, before ending the day with more modest gains.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
  • As one sign of the modest pace of progress, just 2,021 permits to install new heating and cooling systems have been filed since 2017.
    Jonathan Bowles, New York Daily News, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • Cannes offers up so many memories for even us lowly mortals.
    Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
  • Going Dutch stars Leary as Colonel Patrick Quinn, a hard-nosed military man who gets assigned to oversee a lowly service base in the Netherlands.
    Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 7 May 2025
Adjective
  • The story of this production is like an inversion of the play’s: Oldman, 67, fondly revisiting a haunt of his youth in the twilight of an illustrious career, plays Krapp, an unsuccessful writer who, on his 69th birthday, looks back at his past self and sees only abject failure.
    Houman Barekat, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
  • That the ruling powers would be capable of such callousness is no surprise; their abject cruelty is as much a part of the Star Wars fabric as orphan heroes or neurotic droids or the Force.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Crucially, this emerging capability to emulate human thought–like behaviors does not confirm or discredit chatbot consciousness.
    Susan Schneider, Scientific American, 1 May 2025
  • Elon Musk also shared one portraying Harris discrediting her own credentials.
    Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Humble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humble. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on humble

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!