as in humiliating
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as in humiliation
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as in discrediting
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 humbling
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Those listeners are the ones who are our backbone, which is very humbling.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
This sub is routinely very humbling.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
The humbling of the Magnificent Seven Every Magnificent 7 stock is now down double digits from its 52-week high, with the group’s losses accelerating as the war in Iran compounds on the already fraught AI trade.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Stock picking is a humbling business, Jim said.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
What's your last humbling and or hilarious moment?
—Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2026
No repeat of Chelsea’s previous humbling in the competition at the hands of Phil Parkinson.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Nick Foligno couldn’t help but think of his late mother, Janis, upon being traded to Minnesota on Friday to team up with his brother, Marcus, calling it a humbling move.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
That was a very humbling experience.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
There is a strange and humbling symmetry in that.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Winning an award that is entirely community driven is both humbling and exciting.
—Detroit Free Press Staff, Freep.com, 22 Mar. 2026
That experience is incredibly empowering and humbling.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
The Champions League last-16 ties are only at the halfway stage — no team has progressed or exited yet — but no victories in six first legs and an aggregate score of Europe 16-6 Premier League are humbling numbers for English football.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
So, both funny, embarrassing and, and humbling.
—Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2026
Nature on the island is humbling.
—Betsy Andrews, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
Retiring after the humbling 40-22 Super Bowl loss to the Eagles last year would have been no way to end such an illustrious career.
—Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
There’s nothing quite as humbling as crouching next to a random airport outlet.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Being on an island starving is very humbling.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Those listeners are the ones who are our backbone, which is very humbling.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
This sub is routinely very humbling.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
In a way, the humbling feeling is quite welcome.
—Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
The humbling of the Magnificent Seven Every Magnificent 7 stock is now down double digits from its 52-week high, with the group’s losses accelerating as the war in Iran compounds on the already fraught AI trade.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Stock picking is a humbling business, Jim said.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
What's your last humbling and or hilarious moment?
—Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2026
No repeat of Chelsea’s previous humbling in the competition at the hands of Phil Parkinson.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Nick Foligno couldn’t help but think of his late mother, Janis, upon being traded to Minnesota on Friday to team up with his brother, Marcus, calling it a humbling move.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
That was a very humbling experience.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
There is a strange and humbling symmetry in that.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
Beyond the excitement of scientific discovery and seeing something few humans have laid eyes on, Gero says that the day was humbling and a prime example of what can be accomplished when people of all scientific disciplines—and whales—work together.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Winning an award that is entirely community driven is both humbling and exciting.
—Detroit Free Press Staff, Freep.com, 22 Mar. 2026
That experience is incredibly empowering and humbling.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
The Champions League last-16 ties are only at the halfway stage — no team has progressed or exited yet — but no victories in six first legs and an aggregate score of Europe 16-6 Premier League are humbling numbers for English football.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
So, both funny, embarrassing and, and humbling.
—Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2026
Nature on the island is humbling.
—Betsy Andrews, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
Retiring after the humbling 40-22 Super Bowl loss to the Eagles last year would have been no way to end such an illustrious career.
—Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
There’s nothing quite as humbling as crouching next to a random airport outlet.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humbling
Adjective
-
For the Romans, dying on a cross was the most agonizing and humiliating method of death imaginable.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Despite far fewer casualties than the Afghan resistance, the mighty Soviet Union suffered a humiliating defeat in its nine-year war in Afghanistan during the 1980s.—
Will Walldorf,
The Conversation,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Washington, in turn, was desperate to avoid a humiliation evoking memories of the botched US attempt to rescue 53 embassy staff held hostage by Iran in 1980.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
11 Apr. 2026
-
These two instances of humiliation, which could have caused an American auto exec to lash out, drove Toyoda to rethink his company’s methodology.—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My fear is that poor implementation and, above all, a failure to take accountability seriously will end up discrediting good ideas.—
Rachel Canter,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In April 2024, Hayden agreed to pay a $5,000 civil penalty for violating conflict of interest law by allowing his office to issue an official press statement aimed at discrediting his primary opponent, Arroyo, days before the election.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The epitome of narcissism, demeaning and denigrating others upon their deaths (John McCain, Rob Reiner) who’ve displeased him is nothing new, but the Mueller post sinks to a new low.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
To emphasize that new technology can’t change bad behavior, Josh mirrors many of the same demeaning and destructive traits of showrunner Paulie G (Lance Barber), the antagonist of Seasons One and Two.—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Your historical victory is your reward for your historical abasement.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And when that happens, Jamahl Mosley — a good coach and an even better man — will be the fall guy for a team that is embarrassing itself on a national scale and getting exposed in the league standings.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Harbaugh has taken a blow torch to the Giants’ embarrassing special teams unit.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Amnesty International has said that the use of the death penalty under the new measure could violate the right to life and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as enshrined in international law.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
-
For Hildegard…women’s maternal bodies were not corrupting and degrading, but strong, nurturing, and creative.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Its habitat is being affected by climate change and fires started by farmers clearing land, which are contributing to ecosystem degradation in the region.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Its habitat is being affected by climate change and fires started by farmers clearing land, both of which are contributing to ecosystem degradation in the region.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbling. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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