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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of humble
Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Sweet Georgia Brown started with humble beginnings and with the willingness to learn, Williams said.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Jan. 2026
Part of that is a clearly superior defense that humbled San Francisco 13-3 in the regular season finale.
—Greg Cote
january 15, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humble
Adjective
About Sun Harvest Citrus This place got its start as a humble farming operation.
—Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Sweet Georgia Brown started with humble beginnings and with the willingness to learn, Williams said.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Proud to serve Cincinnati, thankful for the people and stories that pass through our doors, and humbled by opportunities like this.
—Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Jan. 2026
Part of that is a clearly superior defense that humbled San Francisco 13-3 in the regular season finale.
—Greg Cote
january 15, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humble
Adjective
-
But savings were meek, with the largest dip found in Stockton, off only 4% last year vs up 2% in 2024 and 36% over the previous four years.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Soft power isn’t about being meek.—
Penny Abeywardena,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Boxer Imane Khelif admitted to having the SRY gene, located on the Y chromosome, which is found in biological males, and undergoing hormone treatments to lower testosterone levels ahead of the 2024 Olympics in an interview with the French sports publication L'Equipe.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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The appeals court sent the case back to the lower court to amend the 2024 ruling.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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At one point at the table, Jane ran a fork down the side of Robert's face, leaving red lines, humiliating him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Days after the segment was recorded, Schmitz shot Amedure to death, then confessed to the murder, saying he'd been humiliated on national TV.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Set in 2021, the drama follows the emotional journey of Feci, a modest Hungarian cattle farm worker, who joins an organized tour of the South of France with his wife Klara.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
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In Tokyo, places like Shinjuku Gyoen offer a peaceful break from the city, while gardens such as Kenrokuen in Kanazawa provide similarly rewarding experiences at a modest cost.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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On Thursday, the Bucks (18-28) lost for the third time in two months to the lowly Wizards, accounting for exactly one quarter of Washington’s wins this season.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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The first part of the plan doesn’t quite work out when the casting gets announced with Minna landing the role of Titania the Queen of Fairies, and Flic, a lowly tree.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Throughout the series, characters in bigger bodies are depicted as abject, undesirable, and ill.—
Virgie Tovar,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
He was born into relative monetary comfort while I was born into massive dysfunction followed by years of abject poverty and homelessness.—
Douglas Mackinnon,
Boston Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Supporters of Pahlavi were particularly vocal in Mashhad this month, as attested by the prevalence of pro-monarchy graffiti on city walls, and the regime’s propaganda devoted particular attention to discrediting the former crown prince.—
Davood Moradian,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
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Mayers said one lawful action should not be used to discredit another lawful action.—
Steve Karnowski,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humble. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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