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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Even the set for Simon’s modest apartment on Lexington Avenue evoked Cretton’s humble beginnings.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Brad Stevens admitted last month, after the Celtics followed up an excellent regular season with a humbling first-round loss to Philadelphia, that Boston did not have the talent to compete with the NBA’s true championship contenders.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for humble
Adjective
Ikeda’s, which has a location in Auburn and another in Davis, started out in 1950 as a humble fruit stand off Highway 40, opened by the late Sam Ikeda.
—Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Even the set for Simon’s modest apartment on Lexington Avenue evoked Cretton’s humble beginnings.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Verb
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
Brad Stevens admitted last month, after the Celtics followed up an excellent regular season with a humbling first-round loss to Philadelphia, that Boston did not have the talent to compete with the NBA’s true championship contenders.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for humble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humble
Adjective
-
The series centers on Cha Myung-jo, a meek worker at a company producing imitation character stickers who, despite nominally heading his household, lives in the shadow of his far more capable wife.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 June 2026
-
Talarico’s Jesus is meek and mild, a man of heart rather than ego.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch noted their dissent and would have granted the state’s request to overturn the lower courts.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
The lobby bar, called The Living Room, was busy with groups of friends sipping hot toddies and Champagne at low tables and around the fireplace.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Of course, all of this convenient acquiescence will sound familiar in the United States, where our own Congress and Department of Justice have been nothing if not servile to a brazenly corrupt executive.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
As long as Iran doesn’t humiliate Trump by restarting its nuclear program, the president can call it a win.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
-
In the ongoing fight for women’s equal rights, Pawol had proved a female baseball umpire can be second-guessed, proved wrong and humiliated by technology and mocked by howling fans on social media just like a man can.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
If natural gas rates are relatively low in your area, the cost savings from improved efficiency will be more modest.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
-
Even as bitcoin has become easier for mainstream investors to own — including through the launch of spot bitcoin ETFs in 2024 — its dramatic price swings have remained a defining feature of the asset, underscoring why many financial planners continue to recommend modest allocations.—
Mike Winters,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Chicago Sky are just 4-6 for the season, and were able to grab a win on Friday night, taking down the lowly Connecticut Sun.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
Going through all the trials and tribulations of growing up like any other human on Earth, Adam is completely frustrated about losing his sword all those years ago and can’t stop trying to find it, even to the point of threatening his lowly job in the quest.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Holding on to him and failing to make the playoffs would be an abject disaster, even given the fact that the Tigers could extend a qualifying offer at season’s end.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
Our original predictions about the abject lack of viability have been proven regrettably accurate.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
If anything, they’ve been used to discredit her.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humble. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
