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
Four humble ingredients come together inside a tortilla to make something transcendent — melty, fluid, fleetingly crunchy, soft, toothsome, rich and filling. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Best Serving Tray Designer Sophie Lou Jacobson knows how to make even the most humble tableware pieces that much cooler. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
Again, that's what makes this slash to the guide so confusing and humbling. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 Copycat protests sprang up in other major Indian cities—Kolkata, Mumbai and Patna—lending the Gen Z protests the aura of a nationwide youth resistance that would humble Modi and force his education minister to resign. — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 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
  • Howard recruited Winkler to star in his 1982 comedy Night Shift, as a meek morgue worker whose life is radicalized by a new hire played by Michael Keaton.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Closer to home, Liverpool have shown the pitfalls of an expensive facelift, splurging record sums on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak last summer only to free-fall from champions to a meek fifth-place finish.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of meek
Adjective
  • Bonnell Bonnell isn’t the first to come to the electric off-road motorcycle arena, but its strategy is to differentiate itself through integration, adjustability and relatively low weight rather than simply trying to win the horsepower spreadsheet.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In a footnote to his dissent, Roberts wrote that the underground work on the project – which lower courts had allowed to proceed – addressed the government’s security concerns.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Sep. 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
  • My husband was humiliated, he was degraded, and not able to defend himself.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Our minds generate sharp retorts or zingers that would eviscerate or humiliate them.
    — Dr. Joel M. Rothaizer, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Adjective
  • That makes even modest efficiency gains financially significant across long voyages.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Palmeiras winger Allan, 22, quickly emerged as one such solution, though his modest goal and assist tally alarmed supporters when the wisdom of City’s market strategy was being questioned.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of modest
Adjective
  • On Sunday, the Sydney Swans — who are second in the AFL — won their penultimate game of the regular season at lowly Essendon, a club based in Melbourne.
    — Michael Bailey, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Except the A’s—who, for their part, had finished the month of July with a lowly record of 5–19—won the next game, too.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of lowly
Adjective
  • But one price for all, a concept conceived by the Quakers, who believed that charging different prices to different people was morally abject, became commonplace.
    — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • He was born in abject poverty in rural Georgia, Pin Point, Georgia.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of abject
Verb
  • In trying to discredit public concerns about data centers as a psyop, Goldman and others said, tech leaders are taking a page out of the intelligence playbook themselves.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Inflicting these details on the jury, the children’s family members, and the public served no discernible purpose in establishing Clancy’s mens rea, which might have discredited her not-guilty plea.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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