humble 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhəm-bəl How to pronounce humble (audio)
Definition of humblenext
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

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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

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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

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humble

2 of 2

verb

ˈhəm-bəl How to pronounce humble (audio)
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

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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
Adjective
The festival began as a humble luncheon in 1978, growing into a phenomenon with an annual attendance of around 100,000. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 17 July 2026 Multigenerational and hybrid teams require leaders who are curious enough to listen and humble enough to adapt. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Verb
That is exactly the type of humbling experience that is important for actors. — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 14 July 2026 Watching a mother turtle haul herself ashore under a canopy of stars to lay her eggs is a truly primal and humbling sight. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for humble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humble
  1. meek
  2. low
  3. servile
  4. humiliate
  5. modest
  6. lowly
  7. abject
  8. discredit
Adjective
  • Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has never been a meek man, but his results of late — four or more losses in each of the last three seasons — spark worry about the health of his program after a dominant eight-year stretch prior.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Contrasting her with the meek, mysterious, and passive Anthy, the series examines the constrictions both men and women face via traditional gender roles, with an eye towards gender fluidity that remains radical today.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 12 June 2026
Definition of meek
Adjective
  • The administration had appealed two lower court rulings that blocked the termination.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • Along with affordable homes, Lupo said, the best cities for first-time buyers also provide lower crime rates, good schools and a lower overall cost of living.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of low
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, Trump takes servile flattery as his due.
    — Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of servile
Verb
  • Rudi Garcia then arguably drew up the game plan of the tournament, leaving Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku out of his starting XI and still managing to humiliate the hosts.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The Fijians were tough and clinical in a huge turnaround from last weekend when they were humiliated by England 73-8 in Liverpool.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of humiliate
Adjective
  • Across the country, states with relatively modest grocery prices often have lower incomes, higher poverty rates or greater dependence on nutrition assistance.
    — Hank Cardello, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • The film follows a modest family on the outskirts of Tehran who faces the imminent destruction of their home as part of a vast redevelopment project.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of modest
Adjective
  • That was on June 24, the night the Red Sox blew a late lead to cap off a series defeat to the lowly Colorado Rockies.
    — Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • The person who started that rumor is the present-day, extremely status-conscious Queen Dowager (Our Unwritten Seoul’s Jang Young-nam), who is furious at the idea her husband would make a lowly maid a concubine.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 17 July 2026
Definition of lowly
Adjective
  • Smith, at least, should provide an upgrade over Justin Fields, who was an abject disaster.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 16 July 2026
  • Team Green’s other attempts to rally seem destined for abject failure, but are fun to watch.
    — The Editors, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Definition of abject
Verb
  • He was barred from challenging Putin in 2024 and was declared a foreign agent last week, a designation that the Kremlin often uses to discredit its opponents.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 17 July 2026
  • Speculation of Israeli effort to discredit Khan The allegations against Khan came at a moment of intense scrutiny of the ICC.
    — Christiane Amanpour, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of discredit

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Cite this Entry

“Humble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humble. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of humble for Spanish Speakers

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