humbling

[ huhm-bling, uhm- ]
See synonyms for: humblinghumblings on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. causing a person to feel less proud, especially through awe, admiration, or gratitude:This project has involved some exceptionally talented people and it’s been a humbling experience to work with them.

  2. lowering a person’s status, power, dignity, confidence, etc.:The 26:2 vote in favor of their opponents was indeed a humbling defeat.

noun
  1. the act of affecting a person or thing in any of these ways, or the experience of being so affected:The Magna Carta marked the restoration of Anglo-Saxon freedom and the humbling of Norman tyranny.

Origin of humbling

1
First recorded in 1540–50; humbl(e) + -ing2 for the adjective senses; humbl(e) + -ing1 for the noun sense

Other words from humbling

  • hum·bling·ly, adverb
  • self-hum·bling, adjective

Words Nearby humbling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use humbling in a sentence