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Meaning of humble in English
Pronunciation
/ˈhəmbəl/
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Verb
humble
Definitions
1.
cause to be unpretentious
Examples
« This experience will humble him »
2.
cause to feel shame
Examples
« hurt the pride of »
« He humiliated his colleague by criticising him in front of the boss »
Classifying Adjective
humble
Definitions
1.
low or inferior in station or quality
Examples
« a humble cottage »
« a lowly parish priest »
« a modest man of the people »
« small beginnings »
Synonyms
inferior
2.
used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)
Synonyms
unskilled
3.
of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense)
Examples
« baseborn wretches with dirty faces »
« of humble (or lowly) birth »
Synonyms
lowborn
Qualitative Adjective
humble
Etymology
Middle English: from Old French, from Latin humilis‘low, lowly’, from humus‘ground’
Definitions
1.
marked by meekness or modesty
Examples
« not arrogant or prideful »
« a humble apology »
« essentially humble...and self-effacing, he achieved the highest formal honors and distinctions- B.K.Malinowski »
Synonyms
broken
crushed
humbled
humiliated
low
meek
mild
modest
Antonyms
proud
See also
modest