English Explanatory Dictionary

humble

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming.
  2. Having a low opinion of oneself; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; modest.
noun
  1. An arrest based on weak evidence intended to demean or punish the subject.
verb
  1. To defeat or reduce the power, independence, or pride of.
  2. To make humble or lowly; to make less proud or arrogant; to make meek and submissive.
verb
  1. To hum.
noun
  1. Alternative form of hummel.
verb
  1. Alternative form of hummel.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. A place name:
  3. A small town in Langeland municipality, island of Langeland, southern Denmark.
  4. An unincorporated community in Russell County, Kentucky, United States.
  5. A city in Harris County, Texas, United States, the former home of Humble Oil.

Pronunciation

/ˈhʌmbəl/ en-us-humble.ogg en-au-humble.ogg /ˈʌmbəl/ /ˈhʊmbəl/

Word forms

humble humbler more humble humblest most humble humbles humbling humbled

Etymology

From Middle English humble, from Old French humble, umble, humle, from Latin humilis (“low, slight, hence mean, humble”) (compare Greek χαμηλός (khamēlós, “on the ground, low, trifling”)), from humus (“the earth, ground”), humi (“on the ground”). See homage, and compare chameleon, humiliate. Displaced native Old English ēaþmōd.

Synonyms

abased demure diffident humble humble-hearted low lowly meek mild modest poor resigned self-effacing unpretentious verecund simple unassuming abase degrade depress disgrace humiliate lower mortify abash bring low confuse confound debase demean disconcert discomfit dishonour embarrass put to shame shame bring down to size cut down to size defame demote discredit disparage downgrade embase give a bad name knock down to size put someone in their place reduce relegate sink slur trim down to size whittle down to size break bring to heel meeken subdue subjugate suppress tame

Antonyms

arrogant immodest snobby presumptuous smug airy chesty authoritarian biggity big-headed blustery boastful bombastic buggish cocky conceited disdainful domineering egotistical entitled flatulent flaunting full of oneself glorious grandiose hankty haught haughty haut high-handed high-hat high and mighty highfalutin hoity-toity holier-than-thou hubristic hubristical imperious inflated insolent la-di-da orgulous ostentatious overbearing overweening pompous pretentious priggish puffed up sanctimonious self-important snobbish snooty snotty stout stuck up supercilious thrasonic thrasonical toploftical

Related words

humbleness humiliate humiliation humility ashamed dejected embarrassed reserved servile submissive cautious moderate shy humblebee

Derived words

eat humble pie enhumble humblebrag humblehead humble-hearted humble-heartedness humble pie humble plant humblesome humblesse humblify humblish in my humble opinion unhumble unhumbleness humbleness humblehood humbler humbly
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