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humbleness

 - 3 dictionary results

hum⋅ble

  [huhm-buhl, uhm-] adjective, -bler, -blest, verb, -bled, -bling.
Use humbleness in a Sentence
–adjective
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.
–verb (used with object)
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.
Origin:
1200–50; ME (h)umble < OF < L humilis lowly, insignificant, on the ground. See humus, -ile

Related forms:
hum⋅ble⋅ness, noun
humbler, noun
hum⋅bling⋅ly, adverb
humbly, adverb

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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To humbleness
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 curtail or destroy the pride of; humiliate.

  2. To cause to be meek or modest in spirit.

  3. To give a lower condition or station to; abase. See Synonyms at degrade.


[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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

humble  (adj.)
c.1250, from O.Fr. humble, earlier humele, from L. humilis "lowly, humble," lit. "on the ground," from humus "earth." Senses of "not self-asserting" and "of low birth or rank" were both in M.E. The verb is c.1380 in the intrans. sense of "to render oneself humble;" 1484 in the trans. sense of "to lower (someone) in dignity."
"Don't be so humble; you're not that great." [Golda Meir]
To eat humble pie (1830) is from umble pie (1648), pie made from umbles "edible inner parts of an animal" (especially deer), considered a low-class food. The similar sense of similar-sounding words (the "h" of humble was not pronounced then) converged in the pun. Umbles, meanwhile, is M.E. numbles "offal" (with loss of n- through assimilation into preceding article), from O.Fr. nombles "loin, fillet," from L. lumulus, dim. of lumbus "loin."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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