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Meaning of humble in English

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈhəmbəl/

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  1. Verb

    humble

    Definitions

    1. cause to be unpretentious

    Examples

    • « This experience will humble him »
  2. 2. cause to feel shame

    Examples

    • « hurt the pride of »
    • « He humiliated his colleague by criticising him in front of the boss »
  3. 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
  4. 2. used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)

    Synonyms

    • unskilled
  5. 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
  6. 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

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