Synonyms of humble

humble 1 of 5

adjective (1)

ˈhəm-bəl 

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

• meek
• modest
• unassuming
• unaffected
• lowly
• timid
• down-to-earth
• unpretentious
• naive
• demure
• shy
• simple
• quiet
• passive
• deferential
• subdued
• submissive
• unassertive
• acquiescent
• compliant
• resigned
• unaggressive
• plain
• ingenuous
• bashful
• reserved
• unobtrusive
• diffident
• yielding
• sheepish
• shrinking
• retiring
• introverted
• mousy
• self-effacing
• cowering
• cringing
• self-deprecating
• self-deprecatory
• aw-shucks
• overmodest

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• arrogant
• haughty
• superior
• pretentious
• pompous
• conceited
• presumptuous
• supercilious
• imperious
• bumptious
• aggressive
• egotistic
• impudent
• assertive
• high-and-mighty
• confident
• uppity
• bold
• peremptory
• audacious
• cheeky
• lordly
• uppish
• forward
• huffy
• saucy
• brash
• cocky
• impertinent
• highfalutin
• high-handed
• brassy
• high-hat
• overweening
• smug
• chesty
• presuming
• egocentric
• overconfident
• prideful
• narcissistic
• hubristic
• cocksure
• boastful
• vain
• egoistic
• dominant
• self-assertive
• hoity-toity
• bombastic
• huffish
• vainglorious
• toplofty
• self-asserting
• condescending
• fastuous
• disdainful
• domineering
• self-confident
• patronizing
• showy
• swaggering
• flamboyant
• overbearing
• magisterial
• self-centered
• ostentatious
• dominating
• self-important
• self-complacent
• self-contented
• self-satisfied
• self-conceited
• outgoing
• stuck-up
• uninhibited
• self-congratulatory
• self-engrossed
• self-obsessed
• braggy
• self-affected
• self-pleased
• immodest
• swelled-headed
• unreserved
• extroverted
• pontificating

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

• low
• lowly
• plebeian
• ignoble
• proletarian
• unwashed
• lower-class
• common
• poor
• vulgar
• inferior
• low-life
• lumpen
• mean
• lowborn
• prole
• simple
• middle-class
• baseborn
• bourgeois
• plain
• working-class
• déclassé
• downscale
• down-market

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gentle
• noble
• great
• lofty
• high
• aristocratic
• grand
• genteel
• patrician
• upper-class
• prominent
• upper-crust
• illustrious
• eminent
• notable
• highborn
• blue-blooded
• highbred
• wellborn

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

• meek
• servile
• abject
• menial
• base
• slavish
• modest
• unassuming
• sheepish
• lowly
• hangdog
• unpretentious
• retiring
• lamblike
• sycophantic
• demure
• fawning
• sycophant
• toadyish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• arrogant
• haughty
• superior
• supercilious
• imperious
• uppity
• lordly
• high-handed

humble

2 of 5

verb (1)

ˈhəm-bəl 

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

• humiliate
• discredit
• embarrass
• shame
• disgrace
• insult
• demean
• confuse
• take down
• dishonor
• abase
• degrade
• rattle
• chasten
• criticize
• cheapen
• debase
• lower
• smirch
• sink
• foul
• ridicule
• diminish
• disparage
• mortify
• minimize
• detract
• confound
• belittle
• faze
• affront
• discount
• disconcert
• write off
• discountenance
• condemn
• malign
• nonplus
• slander
• decry
• abash
• depreciate
• cry down
• damn
• fluster
• put down
• discomfit
• libel
• defame
• castigate
• defile
• bad-mouth
• denounce
• censure
• reprobate
• execrate
• reprehend

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• honor
• exalt
• praise
• elevate
• commend
• salute
• congratulate
• applaud
• recognize
• boast
• compliment
• cheer
• celebrate
• acknowledge
• aggrandize
• laud
• decorate
• deify
• canonize
• extol
• acclaim
• hail
• eulogize
• cite
• tout
• fete
• highlight
• spotlight
• dignify
• glorify
• ennoble
• play up
• promote
• lift
• raise
• uplift
• magnify
• advance
• enthrone
• enshrine
• boost
• upgrade
• idealize
• romanticize
• ensky

humbling

3 of 5

adjective (2)

as in humiliating

Related Words

• humiliating
• demeaning
• degrading
• mortifying
• unsettling
• difficult
• impossible
• unpleasant
• debasing
• confusing
• embarrassing
• troublesome
• intolerable
• inconvenient
• disagreeable
• unwieldy
• disconcerting
• uncomfortable
• disturbing
• discomfiting
• awkward
• flustering

Dissimilar Words

• convenient
• comfortable
• agreeable
• pleasing

humbling

4 of 5

noun

as in humiliation

Related Words

• humiliation
• abasement
• degradation
• dust
• debasing
• debasement
• disapproval
• contempt
• disapprobation
• blot
• disdain
• stigma
• despite
• stain
• deprecation
• taint
• scorn
• slur
• brand
• disfavor
• scandal
• spot
• shame
• ignominy
• disgrace
• smirch
• discredit
• shadow
• dishonor
• infamy
• disrepute
• reproach
• opprobrium
• odium
• obloquy
• disesteem

Dissimilar Words

• respect
• honor
• esteem
• appreciation
• regard
• admiration
• estimation
• fear
• awe
• glory
• reverence
• fame
• renown
• repute

humbling

5 of 5

verb (2)

present participle of humble

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• humiliating
• discrediting
• embarrassing
• degrading
• confusing
• shaming
• chastening
• demeaning
• insulting
• disgracing
• debasing
• abasing
• rattling
• dishonoring
• taking down
• mortifying
• cheapening
• disconcerting
• lowering
• fouling
• criticizing
• discomfiting
• diminishing
• disparaging
• belittling
• sinking
• confounding
• ridiculing
• smirching
• minimizing
• detracting
• discounting
• depreciating
• flustering
• damning
• affronting
• decrying
• condemning
• castigating
• slandering
• maligning
• writing off
• nonplussing
• abashing
• fazing
• defaming
• defiling
• libeling
• crying down
• putting down
• discountenancing
• denouncing
• censuring
• bad-mouthing
• execrating
• reprehending
• reprobating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• exalting
• elevating
• cheering
• praising
• recognizing
• honoring
• commending
• aggrandizing
• applauding
• acknowledging
• citing
• celebrating
• congratulating
• deifying
• boasting
• lauding
• complimenting
• extolling
• hailing
• saluting
• decorating
• acclaiming
• canonizing
• eulogizing
• touting
• highlighting
• uplifting
• ennobling
• dignifying
• lifting
• spotlighting
• promoting
• glorifying
• magnifying
• advancing
• feting
• playing up
• raising
• enthroning
• enshrining
• upgrading
• boosting
• idealizing
• romanticizing
• enskying

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of humble

Adjective

There are several different subtypes of New York City Restaurant, from the humble old-timers (Katz’s, Nom Wah) to the temples of filthy lucre (Bemelmans, Rao’s). — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

This simple recipe relies on a hot oven and a rimmed baking sheet to turn the humble vegetable into a side dish worthy of both weeknight dinners and the Thanksgiving table. — Rick Martinez, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

To the show’s credit, this Ultron is a highly entertaining creation, allowing Spader to layer some of his signature sardonic air to a character who’s still cynical, but much humbled from his supervillain days. — Alison Herman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Resident Carolyn Cronin admitted she was humbled to learn that the four saplings growing in a row along the wrought-iron fence outside were lindens. — Kendra Nordin Beato, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 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

Noun

That experience of not only working with others who are different from you, but also working in service to something larger than yourself – that has a humbling and leveling effect. — Emily Staunton, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026

So having all these human, humbling, awkward things were really fun to explore. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Aug. 2026

Verb

Some day, the Hornets may collectively look back on this occasion as part of the humbling growing pains of stepping up in classification in a sport that allows no grace period for transition. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Schottenheimer has been a part of humbling experiences in the NFL similarly to Parker’s experience in his first game as a defensive play-caller. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026