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

Luckily, the best ramen town in the country, in my humble opinion, is an easy day trip from Tokyo. — Kim Kay, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026

Ironically, the British school uniform has entirely humble origins. — Eva Wolchover, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026

Verb

To have the opportunity to make my directorial debut here in California, surrounded by an extraordinary cast and crew, is both incredibly emotional and deeply humbling. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

Warren, on the other hand, was humbled last week in a 35-point defeat to Fountain Lake. — Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 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

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

Another humbling moment occurred when Larsson kicked off the Today show’s Summer Concert Series, performing her songs with a missing high heel. — Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026

Verb

To be recognized in his name is simultaneously humbling and a responsibility. — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Aug. 2026

Again, that's what makes this slash to the guide so confusing and humbling. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026