humble

The word “humble” means not proud or arrogant; modest about one's own importance or abilities. In plain terms, modest, not boastful — or as a verb, to bring someone down a peg.

“Humble” is pronounced HUHM-buhl (/ˈhʌmbəl/ in IPA).

Here is “humble” used in a sentence: “Despite her success, she remained humble and down-to-earth.”

Words with a similar meaning to “humble” include abased, demure, diffident, humble-hearted, low and lowly.

The opposite of “humble” — its antonyms — are arrogant and immodest.

Depending on how it is used, “humble” can be an adjective and a verb.

The word “humble” comes from Latin. From Old French humble, from Latin humilis ("low, lowly"), from humus ("ground, earth") — the same root behind humiliate.

“Humble” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

Both describe someone who is not proud, but humble stresses a genuinely low view of one's own importance, while modest often means simply not boasting about achievements or abilities. Humble can also describe plain, low-status things, as in 'a humble home.'

Humble means modest and not arrogant, whereas meek suggests being submissive, gentle, and unlikely to argue or resist. A humble person can still be confident and assertive, while a meek person tends to yield.

Use humble in this way to mean plain, simple, or low in rank, as in 'a humble cottage' or 'humble beginnings.' Here it describes modest circumstances rather than a personality trait.

Because humility involves not drawing attention to one's own importance, openly declaring 'I am humble' can sound self-contradictory. Speakers often soften it to something like 'I try to stay humble.'