humble

UK: /ˈhʌmb^əl/ US: /ˈhʌmbəl/ ,(hum′bəl, um′-)

Inflections of 'humble' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

humbles

v 3rd person singular

humbling

v pres p

humbled

v past

humbled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

hum•ble /ˈhʌmbəl/   adj., -bler, -blest, v., -bled, -bling. 
adj. 

1. not proud or arrogant;
   modest.
2. low in importance, status, or condition;
   lowly:
   began his career in a very humble position.

v. [~ + object]

3. to lower in condition, importance, or dignity:
   The politician was humbled by defeat in the last election.

hum•ble•ness, n. [uncountable]
hum•bler, n. [countable]
hum•bly, adv. See -hum-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hum•ble  (hum′bəl, um′-), adj., -bler, -blest, v., -bled, -bling. 
adj. 

1. not proud or arrogant;
   modest:
   to be humble although successful.
2. having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc.:
   In the presence of so many world-famous writers I felt very humble.
3. low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.;
   lowly: of humble origin;
   a humble home.
4. courteously respectful:
   In my humble opinion you are wrong.
5. low in height, level, etc.;
   small in size:
   a humble member of the galaxy.

v.t. 

6. to lower in condition, importance, or dignity;
   abase.
7. to destroy the independence, power, or will of.
8. to make meek:
   to humble one's heart.

• Latin humilis lowly, insignificant, on the ground. See humus, -ile
• Old French
• Middle English (h)umble 1200–50

hum′ble•ness, n. 
hum′bler, n. 
hum′bling•ly, adv. 
hum′bly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. unpretending, unpretentious.
• 2. submissive, meek.
• 3. unassuming, plain, common, poor.
• 4. polite.
• 6. mortify, shame, abash.
• 7. subdue, crush, break.
  Humble, degrade, humiliate suggest lowering or causing to seem lower. To humble is to bring down the pride of another or to reduce him or her to a state of abasement:
  to humble an arrogant enemy.
  To degrade is to demote in rank or standing, or to reduce to a low level in dignity:
  to degrade an officer; to degrade oneself by lying.
  To humiliate is to make others feel or appear inadequate or unworthy, esp. in some public setting:
  to humiliate a sensitive person.

Antonyms

• 1, 2. proud.
• 3. noble, exalted.
• 4. rude, insolent.
• 6. elevate.
• 8. exalt.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

humble / ˈhʌmb^əl/ adjective

1. conscious of one's failings
2. unpretentious; lowly: a humble cottage, my humble opinion
3. deferential or servile

verb (transitive)

1. to cause to become humble; humiliate
2. to lower in status

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French, from Latin humilis low, from humus the ground

ˈhumbleness noun

ˈhumbly adverb