as in humiliated
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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Recent Examples of humbled
After a heroes’ welcome home, that veteran Paraguay side was humbled by Uruguay 3-0 in the 2011 Copa América final.
—
Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Martinez said he was honored and humbled to be leading, especially against two City Hall chiefs of staff.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2026
On August 2, I’ve never been more flooded with gratitude, and humbled to feel such a love.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
In December, the proprietary model AxiomProver achieved a perfect score on the Putnam Competition — the notoriously brutal math exam that has humbled Fields medalists.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 June 2026
The head coaching position has fired Mike Brown, rewarded him, humbled him and brought him back to the NBA Finals.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 June 2026
Travelers tempted by truly untouched wilderness—the kind that leaves you humbled, awestruck, and nearly speechless—often find themselves on a never-ending search seeking more remote, more untamed, and more extreme places.
—Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Sitting next to Pochettino at the podium, Ream was humbled by the selection.
—Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Though initially humbled by a world where women run everything and men fight for recognition, Damien adapts uneasily to the power imbalance and decides to pursue the CEO role alongside Alex.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 22 May 2026
Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Martinez said he was honored and humbled to be leading, especially against two City Hall chiefs of staff.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2026
On August 2, I’ve never been more flooded with gratitude, and humbled to feel such a love.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
In December, the proprietary model AxiomProver achieved a perfect score on the Putnam Competition — the notoriously brutal math exam that has humbled Fields medalists.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 June 2026
The head coaching position has fired Mike Brown, rewarded him, humbled him and brought him back to the NBA Finals.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 June 2026
Travelers tempted by truly untouched wilderness—the kind that leaves you humbled, awestruck, and nearly speechless—often find themselves on a never-ending search seeking more remote, more untamed, and more extreme places.
—Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Sitting next to Pochettino at the podium, Ream was humbled by the selection.
—Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Though initially humbled by a world where women run everything and men fight for recognition, Damien adapts uneasily to the power imbalance and decides to pursue the CEO role alongside Alex.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humbled
Verb
-
Only the United States was humiliated; both countries have experienced a catastrophic loss.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
-
However, they were then humiliated 2-1, after extra time, by second division side Torreense in the final.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Those accusations have long been discredited.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 June 2026
-
After the war, his goalscoring statistics were deleted and his achievements were discredited, with the Polish press labelling him as mentally unstable and an alcoholic.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The case has generated intense international attention because of Hoiby's connection to the royal family, who have been embarrassed by it.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
But Americans don’t want to see the home team embarrassed.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbled. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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