1
as in humbly
in a manner showing no signs of pride or self-assertion
spoke modestly about his accomplishments as an entrepreneur
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in innocently
with purity of thought and deed
dressed modestly to go to church
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of modestly
Tourist attractions remain open, but visitors are asked to dress modestly and behave respectfully during the mourning period.
—
Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Stocks were headed for a modestly lower open this morning following the Fed’s second interest rate cut of the year and China trade progress emerging, with agreements on fentanyl tariffs and rare earths on the table.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
Futures and prediction markets imply that by early 2026 the policy rate lands modestly lower than today but not back to the zero-rate world.
—Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Ballad of a Small Player is only modestly entertaining, its allure as false as the neon promise of the high-rolling city it’s set in.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Perhaps there were those who used that form not only to give news of themselves, and to give it modestly, but to inquire about others in such a way as to encourage correspondence.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
Smart-casual works almost everywhere, but dress modestly (elbows, knees covered) in heritage spots.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Views on personal finances also improved modestly.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
After performing only modestly at the box office, the film, starring Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow, found a cult fandom thanks to home video and cable reruns.
—Keaton Bell, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Stocks were headed for a modestly lower open this morning following the Fed’s second interest rate cut of the year and China trade progress emerging, with agreements on fentanyl tariffs and rare earths on the table.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
Futures and prediction markets imply that by early 2026 the policy rate lands modestly lower than today but not back to the zero-rate world.
—Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Ballad of a Small Player is only modestly entertaining, its allure as false as the neon promise of the high-rolling city it’s set in.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Perhaps there were those who used that form not only to give news of themselves, and to give it modestly, but to inquire about others in such a way as to encourage correspondence.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
Smart-casual works almost everywhere, but dress modestly (elbows, knees covered) in heritage spots.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Views on personal finances also improved modestly.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
After performing only modestly at the box office, the film, starring Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow, found a cult fandom thanks to home video and cable reruns.
—Keaton Bell, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modestly
Adverb
-
Despite his success, Yamamoto still carries himself humbly.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
While skiing in the Dolomites, I was humbly reminded that most hotel rooms in Italy don’t have coffee makers.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
His friend had innocently landed on that scene.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Oct. 2025
-
In a thriller, the suspense is built around a challenge posed to the protagonist — the last big score before retiring, being innocently accused of a crime or accidentally getting involved in something dangerous and deadly.—
Anders de la Motte,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The reporter politely persisted.—
Brian Brant,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Celebrini and Smith mostly smiled, answered the questions, and politely complied with the request in a video that had close to 400,000 views as of early Wednesday.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
An engineer with a litter-picker grabbed the fallen cloth and sheepishly moved it behind the machine, out of my line of sight.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
-
In Inwood, even a pair of volunteers for Cuomo sheepishly stopped him for selfies.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
This all-in form of college sports accounting has been championed by economists who believe the siloed nature of many athletic departments force them to make financial decisions without properly weighing the campus-wide impact.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Your body requires vitamins to function properly and maintain good health.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
4 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Princess Bride is superbly planned and deferentially orchestrated — its theme fits its telling.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The key question now is whether these shows of force are purely symbolic or if the next strike, flight, or covert action could trigger a direct confrontation between the two countries.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
And, just in time for Halloween, The Twisted Spine, New York’s first bookstore dedicated purely to horror, has opened its doors in Williamsburg.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
In other words, students prepare for citizenship in a disputatious society by practicing the civic arts—by asserting and advocating for their views—not by meekly absorbing lessons from their instructors.—
Christopher L. Eisgruber,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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Well, after years of stuttering, pausing, juddering, waiting for the goalkeeper to dive and then rolling spot kicks meekly into the net, Nick Woltemade may have just reversed the trend.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Modestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modestly. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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