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
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of humble
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
From its humble origins using just a few simple ingredients, pizza has become the ultimate blank canvas inviting endless culinary creativity.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 14 Mar. 2026
Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2026
Virginia got humbled at Duke, 77-51.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humble
Adjective
Social media is basically unscripted and its rise has backstopped the once humble entertainment genre and is helping propel it.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
From its humble origins using just a few simple ingredients, pizza has become the ultimate blank canvas inviting endless culinary creativity.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
So, both funny, embarrassing and, and humbling.
—Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2026
Virginia got humbled at Duke, 77-51.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humble
Adjective
-
Yet beneath what might seem a meek exterior lies a steely determination.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Some of the ire contributing to the unedifying scenes at full-time owed to just how meek Villa had been against the Premier League’s bottom team.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Experts recommend immediately moving to shaded areas or lower-angle slopes.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The coming week is forecast to be consistently hot with highs in the upper 80s and lower 90s.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That this man’s-man tough guy becomes utterly servile in the presence of a bunch of slack-casual bazillionaires is the cherry on top of the fascist sundae.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
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Julia was the first weekly TV series that starred a Black woman in a role that wasn't servile.—
Starr Rocque,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At one point in his teenage years, Diaz was publicly humiliated by the football team who forcefully shaved his curly hair.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Walz and Ellison were humiliated and could not account for their blundering.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Starting with its modest entrance in the back lot at Park Road Shopping Center, Sir Ed’s is at first glance a rather unassuming basement-level bar and restaurant with cozy lighting, dark wood accents and lots of Guinness paraphernalia.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Mar. 2026
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In the mid-1990s, Kennedy rented a modest Sagaponack cottage known as Sea Song, sharing it with his cousin Anthony Radziwill and Radziwill’s wife, journalist and Real Housewives of New York City alum Carole Radziwill.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Moreover, Munis said, with enough notice a heavy-hitting Democrat might have entered the contest, instead of the lowly bunch now running hopeless campaigns.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Such is the suffering of the lowly expendables, but spoils of war for the oligarchy of greed and power.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
So many clubs have fallen victim to unsuitable ownership and abject mismanagement, dragged down far beyond their natural level.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Enrigue is an erudite, charismatic raconteur—the sort who will tell you the most abject story with a wink—and his novel distills a byzantine swirl of historical events through the lives of a handful of very colorful characters.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Major news outlets are undeterred by the administration’s criticism, recognizing that attempts to deter and discredit wartime reporting are as old as war coverage itself.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
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Defense attorneys have sought to discredit the prosecution's star witness, Carmen Lauber, a housekeeper for the family who claimed to have sold Richins fentanyl on multiple occasions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humble. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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