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
Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
What's your last humbling and or hilarious moment?
—Outside Online, 11 Feb. 2026
Goodbye Amazon Go Amazon is abandoning its homegrown physical grocery stores, known as Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh, a humbling end to an effort that began almost ten years ago as the online giant sought to expand its retail dominance into the brick-and-mortar world.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Season 3 was at once a humbling and harrowing journey for Mark.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The response has been amazing, overwhelming and humbling.
—Brad Quick, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026
In fact, every team to win the Cup has struggled immediately out of the gate, perhaps in large part due to the emotional high of winning a largely meaningless title, only to return to the humbling reality that the games are still coming 100 miles an hour.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
Reading him this season can be a humbling reminder of our finitude.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025
So, all of this response has left me in a very humbling position.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2025
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
Uh, but all my guests over 80 are my most insightful, most humbling guests.
—Outside Online, 11 Feb. 2026
The Stoic insight, then, is both humbling and empowering.
—Massimo Pigliucci, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Being chosen to participate in such a landmark season is a dream and knowing all the castaways that did not make it here is humbling.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Known as a fiery driver for much of his career, learning of his induction was humbling.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2026
England’s Test team are still licking their wounds after their humbling Down Under.
—Sam Dalling, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
From starting the volunteer day nine years ago and having multiple people reach out was humbling for Steinmetz.
—Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Hafley said Wednesday that having his name being mentioned as a head coaching candidate is flattering and humbling.
—CBS News, 9 Jan. 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
Slovakia — the proud hockey nation of Peter Šťastný, of Peter Bondra, of Pavol Demitra, of Marián Hossa, of Zdeno Chára, of Žigmund Pálffy — had just lost 3-1 to Slovenia in the group stage of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, its third game of the tournament and its third humbling defeat.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
What's your last humbling and or hilarious moment?
—Outside Online, 11 Feb. 2026
Goodbye Amazon Go Amazon is abandoning its homegrown physical grocery stores, known as Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh, a humbling end to an effort that began almost ten years ago as the online giant sought to expand its retail dominance into the brick-and-mortar world.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Season 3 was at once a humbling and harrowing journey for Mark.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The response has been amazing, overwhelming and humbling.
—Brad Quick, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026
In fact, every team to win the Cup has struggled immediately out of the gate, perhaps in large part due to the emotional high of winning a largely meaningless title, only to return to the humbling reality that the games are still coming 100 miles an hour.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
Reading him this season can be a humbling reminder of our finitude.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025
So, all of this response has left me in a very humbling position.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2025
Verb
Crying next to fiberglass whimsy is humbling.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
Uh, but all my guests over 80 are my most insightful, most humbling guests.
—Outside Online, 11 Feb. 2026
The Stoic insight, then, is both humbling and empowering.
—Massimo Pigliucci, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Being chosen to participate in such a landmark season is a dream and knowing all the castaways that did not make it here is humbling.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Known as a fiery driver for much of his career, learning of his induction was humbling.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2026
England’s Test team are still licking their wounds after their humbling Down Under.
—Sam Dalling, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
From starting the volunteer day nine years ago and having multiple people reach out was humbling for Steinmetz.
—Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Hafley said Wednesday that having his name being mentioned as a head coaching candidate is flattering and humbling.
—CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humbling
Adjective
-
After 647 days in limbo, a Palestinian family endures a grueling, humiliating journey through checkpoints and confiscations to return to war-scarred Gaza.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The move was seen as a brutal and humiliating exercise in damage limitation.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Angelica’s attempt at humiliation fails, however, because Jason and Chris refuse to be shamed.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
-
As Melling plays the scene, there’s simultaneous humiliation and thrill.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 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
-
Elordi and Giannulli appeared to be going strong over the next two years, with sources discrediting breakup speculation to PEOPLE in January 2024 and as the two vacationed together in Italy the following September.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Never mind that the statuettes were meant to be demeaning.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Sure, the demeaning bigotry cannot be ignored, and the post was just after armed federal agents burst into a hotel room to arrest the unarmed Black journalist Don Lemon, and the National Park Service removed a slavery exhibit in Philadelphia.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Your historical victory is your reward for your historical abasement.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fairchild played the free-wheeling bon vivant Nora Tyler Bing on five episodes of the sitcom classic, unwittingly embarrassing Perry's Chandler Bing to the delight of his pals.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
-
One day, Will goes viral after embarrassing ROAR league MVP, Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), during a streetball challenge, prompting his favorite team, the Vineland Thorns, to sign him to a season-ending contract in a desperate attempt to juice ticket sales.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Former detainees and human rights organizations have documented systematic torture and severe abuses inside the facility, including beatings, electric shocks, suspension by limbs, prolonged stress positions and other degrading treatment.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Currently the funds spent by governments and the private sector on destroying biodiversty and degrading cosystems like forests and seagrasses are 30 times larger than the flows supporting conservation, restoration and protection of the natural world.—
Nick Nuttall,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
To more explicitly address his concerns about environmental degradation, Lambert attached an infographic and explanatory statement next to his work.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
As a result of the degradation, there is a higher risk of metal fragments being launched into the cabin by the airbags when deployed.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbling. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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