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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of humble
John Hall, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
By Start Slideshow Start Slideshow Has any other product experienced a glow up quite like the humble water bottle?
—Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 21 Feb. 2025
Axios, 13 Feb. 2025
Walz, could you at least be humbled by the number, $610 million and counting?
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for humble
Adjective
The key is to strike a balance between being too humble and coming across as merely boastful.
—John Hall, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
By Start Slideshow Start Slideshow Has any other product experienced a glow up quite like the humble water bottle?
—Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
Humiliate the humbled: Both Trump and Musk use public appearances and social media posts to bully and pummel critics across politics, media and culture.
—Axios, 13 Feb. 2025
Walz, could you at least be humbled by the number, $610 million and counting?
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for humble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humble
Adjective
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Small mercies are welcome when the losses are this meek.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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Sometimes, young players of his profile are quite meek — apologetic for their ability, even.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
The Athletic,
27 July 2024
Adjective
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Even though the amount of each check is lower, investing it in the stock market, which averages an annual return of 10%, could make up for that loss and more.—
Medora Lee,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
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The actions by the Department of Education appear to be in response to last week’s sweeping ruling from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which extended and expanded a block on lower payments and student loan forgiveness under several IDR plans.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
His co-stars, like Will Ferrell’s savage Mugatu, Owen Wilson’s stoner hottie Hansel, and Nathan Lee Graham’s servile Todd — all so precise and well-defined in the original’s ravelike milieu — are doomed to retrace their old steps here.—
Sean Malin,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2024
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These officials could, in turn, redistribute some of their private goods among their own servile lieutenants, but the monarch retained ultimate power to grant or revoke their privileged status.—
Serhiy Kudelia,
Foreign Affairs,
27 Feb. 2014
Verb
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In one sentence, Hegseth turned a conflict, in which Moscow had been roundly diminished and humiliated for three years, into the chaotic re-ordering of continental security, in which Moscow may somehow dominate to its west.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
24 Feb. 2025
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Zachary Basu Feb 15, 2025 - Politics & Policy Trump strangles Europe President Trump stunned, strangled and humiliated Europe — leaving America's closest continental ally dazed and dumbfounded.—
Courtenay Brown,
Axios,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Lowe’s said full-year total sales could see modest growth.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2025
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Though Hong Kong’s economy grew at a modest pace of 2.5% in 2024, China’s stimulus measures lifted investor sentiment, driving up the benchmark Hang Seng index by more than a third from a year ago.—
Jane Ho,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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More news: Cowboys Predicted to Target Free Agent Pro Bowl Running Back The Dolphins were trounced in their final game of the regular season by the lowly New York Jets in a game that was indicative of the entire season.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
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The show then positions him as a lowly subordinate to his rich half-siblings throughout the season, a choice made more noxious by how the script uses his working-class roots as the basis for jokes at his expense.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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His first coaching hire (Nathaniel Hackett) was an abject disaster.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2025
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Because any other result would have been an abject disaster.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Nov. 2024
Verb
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And a cover-up may have furthered the aims of domestic espionage operations like the CIA’s CHAOS and the FBI’s COINTELPRO, which targeted and discredited radical movements whether hippies, Black Panthers, or anti-war activists.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
21 Feb. 2025
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Yes, but: King's family is concerned that Trump's order to release records about his assassination could revive the FBI's attempts to discredit him — efforts that sought to exploit his indiscretions with women and undermine his legacy, sources close to his relatives told Axios.—
Russell Contreras,
Axios,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humble. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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