What does “humble” mean?
- 1
adjectivenot proud; not thinking you are better than others
Despite her fame, she remained humble.
- 2
adjectivelow in social rank or importance; simple
He rose from humble beginnings to become president.
- 3
verbto make someone feel less proud or important
The experienced team was humbled by a group of beginners.
Humble at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective & verb
- CEFR level
- B2 (upper intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈhʌmbəl/ · HUM-bul
How to use “humble” correctly
“In my humble opinion” (IMHO) is often used jokingly. The noun is “humility”, not “humbleness”.
Common phrases with “humble”
- humble beginnings
- humble background
- in my humble opinion
- a humbling experience
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- proud
- arrogant
Word family
- humility
- humbly
- humbling
“humble” is on these word lists
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