humble


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hum·ble

 (hŭm′bəl)
adj. hum·bler, hum·blest
1. Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful.
2. Showing deferential or submissive respect: a humble apology.
3. Low in rank, quality, or station; unpretentious or lowly: a humble cottage.
tr.v. hum·bled, hum·bling, hum·bles
1. To cause to feel humble: "He was humbled by the lack of consolation in Kornblum's expression" (Michael Chabon).
2. To cause to have a lower condition or status; abase.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin humilis, low, lowly, from humus, ground; see dhghem- in Indo-European roots.]

hum′ble·ness n.
hum′bler n.
hum′bly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

humble

(ˈhʌmbəl)
adj
1. conscious of one's failings
2. unpretentious; lowly: a humble cottage; my humble opinion.
3. deferential or servile
vb (tr)
4. to cause to become humble; humiliate
5. to lower in status
[C13: from Old French, from Latin humilis low, from humus the ground]
ˈhumbled adj
ˈhumbleness n
ˈhumbler n
ˈhumbling adj
ˈhumblingly adv
ˈhumbly adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

hum•ble

(ˈhʌm bəl, ˈʌm-)

adj. -bler, -blest, adj.
1. not proud or arrogant; modest.
2. low in importance, status, or condition: a humble home.
3. courteously respectful: in my humble opinion.
4. insignificant; inferior; submissive: to feel humble in the presence of a great artist.
v.t.
5. to lower in condition, importance, or dignity; abase; mortify.
6. to destroy the independence or will of; subdue.
7. to make meek: to humble one's heart.
[1200–50; Middle English (h)umble < Old French < Latin humilis low, lowly, akin to humus ground]
hum′ble•ness, n.
hum′bler, n.
hum′bling•ly, adv.
hum′bly, adv.
syn: humble, degrade, humiliate suggest a lowering in self-respect or in the estimation of others. humble most often refers to a lowering of pride or arrogance, but may refer to a lessening of power or importance: humbled by failure; to humble an enemy. degrade literally means to demote in rank or standing, but commonly refers to a bringing into dishonor or contempt: You degrade yourself by cheating. To humiliate is to make another feel inadequate or unworthy, esp. in a public setting: humiliated by criticism.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

humble


Past participle: humbled
Gerund: humbling

Imperative
humble
humble
Present
I humble
you humble
he/she/it humbles
we humble
you humble
they humble
Preterite
I humbled
you humbled
he/she/it humbled
we humbled
you humbled
they humbled
Present Continuous
I am humbling
you are humbling
he/she/it is humbling
we are humbling
you are humbling
they are humbling
Present Perfect
I have humbled
you have humbled
he/she/it has humbled
we have humbled
you have humbled
they have humbled
Past Continuous
I was humbling
you were humbling
he/she/it was humbling
we were humbling
you were humbling
they were humbling
Past Perfect
I had humbled
you had humbled
he/she/it had humbled
we had humbled
you had humbled
they had humbled
Future
I will humble
you will humble
he/she/it will humble
we will humble
you will humble
they will humble
Future Perfect
I will have humbled
you will have humbled
he/she/it will have humbled
we will have humbled
you will have humbled
they will have humbled
Future Continuous
I will be humbling
you will be humbling
he/she/it will be humbling
we will be humbling
you will be humbling
they will be humbling
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been humbling
you have been humbling
he/she/it has been humbling
we have been humbling
you have been humbling
they have been humbling
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been humbling
you will have been humbling
he/she/it will have been humbling
we will have been humbling
you will have been humbling
they will have been humbling
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been humbling
you had been humbling
he/she/it had been humbling
we had been humbling
you had been humbling
they had been humbling
Conditional
I would humble
you would humble
he/she/it would humble
we would humble
you would humble
they would humble
Past Conditional
I would have humbled
you would have humbled
he/she/it would have humbled
we would have humbled
you would have humbled
they would have humbled
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.humble - cause to be unpretentious; "This experience will humble him"
alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
efface - make inconspicuous; "efface oneself"
2.humble - cause to feel shamehumble - cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of; "He humiliated his colleague by criticising him in front of the boss"
spite, bruise, injure, offend, hurt - hurt the feelings of; "She hurt me when she did not include me among her guests"; "This remark really bruised my ego"
demolish, smash, crush - humiliate or depress completely; "She was crushed by his refusal of her invitation"; "The death of her son smashed her"
demean, disgrace, degrade, take down, put down - reduce in worth or character, usually verbally; "She tends to put down younger women colleagues"; "His critics took him down after the lecture"
Adj.1.humble - low or inferior in station or qualityhumble - low or inferior in station or quality; "a humble cottage"; "a lowly parish priest"; "a modest man of the people"; "small beginnings"
inferior - of or characteristic of low rank or importance
2.humble - marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful; "a humble apology"; "essentially humble...and self-effacing, he achieved the highest formal honors and distinctions"- B.K.Malinowski
modest - marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself; "a modest apartment"; "too modest to wear his medals"
proud - feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride; "proud parents"; "proud of his accomplishments"; "a proud moment"; "proud to serve his country"; "a proud name"; "proud princes"
3.humble - used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)humble - used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)
unskilled - not having or showing or requiring special skill or proficiency; "unskilled in the art of rhetoric"; "an enthusiastic but unskillful mountain climber"; "unskilled labor"; "workers in unskilled occupations are finding fewer and fewer job opportunities"; "unskilled workmanship"
4.humble - of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense)humble - of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense); "baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or lowly) birth"
lowborn - of humble birth or origins; "a topsy-turvy society of lowborn rich and blue-blooded poor"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

humble

adjective
3. ordinary, common, commonplace He made his own reflector from a strip of humble kitchen foil.
verb
1. humiliate, shame, disgrace, break, reduce, lower, sink, crush, put down (slang), bring down, subdue, degrade, demean, chagrin, chasten, mortify, debase, put (someone) in their place, abase, take down a peg (informal), abash the little car company that humbled the industry giants
humiliate raise, elevate, magnify, exalt
humble yourself humiliate yourself, grovel, eat humble pie, swallow your pride, eat crow (U.S. informal), abase yourself, go on bended knee He humbled himself and became obedient.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

humble

adjective
1. Having or expressing feelings of humility:
2. Lacking high station or birth:
Archaic: base.
3. Of little distinction:
verb
To deprive of esteem, self-worth, or effectiveness:
Idioms: bring low, take down a peg.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
حَقير، وضيعمُتَوَاضِعٌمُتَواضِعيُذِلُّ، يَحُطُّ من كِبْرِياء
pokornýpokořitponíženýnízký
beskedenenkelydmygydmyge
nöyrä
skromannizak
auîmÿkjalágurlítillátur, hógvær, auîmjúkur
謙虚な
겸손한
necilspazemīgspazemotvienkāršs
pokorný
poniženskromen
nizakskromanнизакскроман
ödmjuk
ถ่อมตัว
khiêm tốnkhúm núm

humble

[ˈhʌmbl]
A. ADJ (humbler (compar) (humblest (superl)))
1. (= unassuming) [person] → humilde, modesto; [apology] → humilde
she was very humble about her achievementsera muy modesta respecto a sus éxitos
my humble apologies for keeping you waiting (frm) → mis más humildes disculpas por tenerle esperando
in my humble opinionen mi humilde or modesta opinión
I am or remain your humble servant (frm) (in letters) → su humilde or seguro/a servidor(a)
2. (= lowly) [person, origins, background] → humilde; [house, home] → humilde, modesto
the humble maggotel humilde gusano
welcome to our humble abode (hum) → bienvenido a nuestra humilde morada
B. VT
1. (= make humble) → dar una lección de humildad a
Ted's words humbled meTed me dio una lección de humildad con sus palabras
it was a humbling experiencefue una lección de humildad
to humble o.s. before Godacercarse a Dios con humildad
2. (= defeat) → humillar
C. CPD humble pie N to eat humble piemorder el polvo
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

humble

[ˈhʌmbəl]
adj
[person] → humble
to eat humble pie → ravaler son orgueil
[background] → modeste
vtdonner une leçon à
to be humbled (= shamed) → être humilié (e)
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

humble

adj (+er)
(= modest) personbescheiden, demütig (esp Rel); apologydemütig; my humble apologies!ich bitte inständig um Verzeihung!; to be humble about one’s originsmit seiner Herkunft nicht angeben; to eat humble pieklein beigeben; in my humble opinionmeiner bescheidenen Meinung nach ? servant
(= lowly) curate, clerk, beginnereinfach; originsniedrig, einfach; background, beginningsbescheiden; of humble origins/birthvon niedriger Herkunft/Geburt
(= insignificant) abode, restaurant, potato, maggotbescheiden
vt (= crush)demütigen; to humble oneselfsich demütigen or erniedrigen; to be/feel humbledsich (dat)klein vorkommen, sich gedemütigt fühlen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

humble

[ˈhʌmbl]
1. adj (-r (comp) (-st (superl))) → umile; (opinion, occupation) → modesto/a
of humble origins → di umili origini
to eat humble pie → rimangiarsi tutto
2. vtumiliare
to humble o.s. → abbassarsi, umiliarsi
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

humble

(ˈhambl) adjective
1. not having a high opinion of oneself etc. You have plenty of ability but you're too humble.
2. unimportant; having a low position in society etc. a man of humble origins.
verb
to make (someone) humble. He was humbled by his failure.
ˈhumbly adverb
ˈhumbleness noun

see also humility.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

humble

مُتَوَاضِعٌ pokorný ydmyg bescheiden ταπεινός humilde nöyrä humble skroman umile 謙虚な 겸손한 bescheiden ydmyk skromny humilde скромный ödmjuk ถ่อมตัว alçak gönüllü khiêm tốn 谦虚的
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
She had even condescended to advise him to marry as soon as he could, provided he chose with discretion; and had once paid him a visit in his humble parsonage, where she had perfectly approved all the alterations he had been making, and had even vouchsafed to suggest some herself-- some shelves in the closet upstairs."
Franklin Blake; and, in sending him the fifth chapter of her humble narrative, begs to say that she feels quite unequal to enlarge as she could wish on an event so awful, under the circumstances, as Lady Verinder's death.
Let it not be imagined, however, that I consider myself competent to reform the errors and abuses of society, but only that I would fain contribute my humble quota towards so good an aim; and if I can gain the public ear at all, I would rather whisper a few wholesome truths therein than much soft nonsense.
IN PARTICULAR This Work Is Dedicated By A Humble Native Of Flatland In the Hope that Even as he was Initiated into the Mysteries OF THREE DIMENSIONS Having been previously conversant With ONLY TWO So the Citizens of that Celestial Region May aspire yet higher and higher To the Secrets of FOUR FIVE or EVEN SIX Dimensions Thereby contributing To the Enlargement of THE IMAGINATION And the possible Development Of that most and excellent GIFT of MODESTY Among the Superior Races Of SOLID HUMANITY
Indeed, Joseph Sedley, affected by the humble position in which he found his relations, and in the expansiveness and overflowing of heart occasioned by the first meeting, declared that they should never suffer want or discomfort any more, that he was at home for some time at any rate, during which his house and everything he had should be theirs: and that Amelia would look very pretty at the head of his table--until she would accept one of her own.
TO MADAME LA COMTESSE DE FEUILLIDE THIS NOVEL IS INSCRIBED BY HER OBLIGED HUMBLE SERVANT THE AUTHOR.
And never a flake That the vapour can make With the moon-tints of purple and pearl, Can vie with the modest Eulalie's most unregarded curl - Can compare with the bright-eyed Eulalie's most humble and careless curl.
March's motherly welcome, their cheerful society, and the comfort he took in that humble home of theirs.
Which errors, had he lived, were not enough to injure him had he not made a sixth by taking away their dominions from the Venetians; because, had he not aggrandized the Church, nor brought Spain into Italy, it would have been very reasonable and necessary to humble them; but having first taken these steps, he ought never to have consented to their ruin, for they, being powerful, would always have kept off others from designs on Lombardy, to which the Venetians would never have consented except to become masters themselves there; also because the others would not wish to take Lombardy from France in order to give it to the Venetians, and to run counter to both they would not have had the courage.
Again I beg of you not to be angry with me, but to rest assured of my constant respect and attachment.--Your humble, devoted servant,
I will approach him and bask in the sunshine of his humble felicity.
In his humble sphere he was esteemed an honest man, although like many of his class in English towns he was somewhat addicted to drink.