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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Sandra Salibian, WWD, 21 Jan. 2025
At their core, risotto recipes are quite humble, calling for rice, broth, aromatics (often some type of onion and garlic), and optional mix-ins like cheese, vegetables, wine, and meat.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Jan. 2025
Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
After knocking off Indiana 27-17 in the opening round, Notre Dame humbled Georgia in a 23-10 quarterfinal win that showcased their ability to dominate on both sides of the ball.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for humble 
Adjective
Trading a runway show for a poignant performance staged at Fondazione Sozzani, the designer paid tribute to his grandparents, imbuing a sense of familiarity and nostalgia in humble, everyday clothes, with cozy knitwear and deconstructed suits with raw-cuts taking the spotlight.
—Sandra Salibian, WWD, 21 Jan. 2025
At their core, risotto recipes are quite humble, calling for rice, broth, aromatics (often some type of onion and garlic), and optional mix-ins like cheese, vegetables, wine, and meat.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
People who once lived here, like Sanchez, walked around in unchanged clothes, humbled and stunned by the force that showed them no mercy a day earlier.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
After knocking off Indiana 27-17 in the opening round, Notre Dame humbled Georgia in a 23-10 quarterfinal win that showcased their ability to dominate on both sides of the ball.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for humble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humble
Adjective
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Each tree has promised itself right up from the ground, branches full of dying... Elegy Written In A City Cemetery Sina Queyras Somebody left the world last night, and last, and last, and last: wild is the glower of wind, and words too thin, too meek to shelter.—
Max Ufberg,
hazlitt.net,
10 Jan. 2025
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He was supposed to be a meek guy who doesn’t speak up.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Those ticket sales mark one of the lowest hauls to ever claim first place over the MLK holiday stretch.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
19 Jan. 2025
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Here's who qualifies for Biden's $4.2 billion in student loan forgiveness In each of the five cities with the lowest barrier to homeownership, the savings timeline is less than four years.—
Ana Teresa Solá,
CNBC,
19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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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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My neighbor invited me to dinner, then humiliated me in front of the other women Miss Manners: Strangers keep telling me distressing stories.—
Judith Martin,
The Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2025
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The Ravens, particularly bruising runner Derrick Henry, humiliated the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night.—
Tim Graham,
The Athletic,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Its modest storefront entrance gives way to a long tropical deck out back that overlooks an inlet on the canal that flows into the Intracoastal Waterway.—
John Oseid,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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More:Melania Trump sports dark, modest outfit for Inauguration ceremony What did Ivanka Trump wear to the inauguration?—
Sam Woodward,
USA TODAY,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Luka Dončić strained his calf Christmas Day against these Timberwolves, and Dallas has gone 4-10 without him, including losses to the lowly Pelicans and Hornets.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
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Wright was among the game’s best all-around players for a decade, serving as a Gold Glove third baseman, a perennial .300 hitter with power and speed, almost single-handedly keeping the lowly New York Mets out of the gutter.—
Jason Mastrodonato,
The Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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However, the concept in actuality was an abject failure.—
Jannelle Moore,
The Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2025
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Democrats’ abject failures in places like California, New York and Chicago shine an ugly spotlight on some of the party’s biggest faces and worst policies.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Kennedy has already begun to discredit public health measures to counter bird flu.—
Selena Simmons-Duffin,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2025
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Revoking security clearances of Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, and former intelligence officials who signed a letter discrediting the Hunter Biden laptop story.—
Avery Lotz,
Axios,
28 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Humble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humble. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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