humble
/ˈhʌmbəl/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.11 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming.
noun
People with a low position or a low opinion of themselves; those who are not proud, arrogant, or assuming.
verb
To defeat or reduce the power, independence, or pride of.
verb
To make humble or lowly; to make less proud or arrogant; to make meek and submissive.
Transitive verb
noun
Alternative form of hummel.
Example Sentences
- "He lives in a humble one-bedroom cottage."
- "17th century, Abraham Cowley, The Shortness of Life and Uncertainty of Riches The wise example of the heavenly lark. Thy fellow poet, Cowley, mark, Above the clouds let thy proud music sound, Thy humble nest build on the ground."
- "Roominess and unroominess in a human dwelling, even of the humblest kind, are important matters in their bearing upon man's character."
- "Undoubtedly it can be said that the humble 0-6-0 has been the backbone for general service, or general utility on British railways right from their earliest days, and is likely to remain so."
- "Lucky that my lips not only mumble / They spill kisses like a fountain / Lucky that my breasts are small and humble / So you don't confuse 'em with mountains"
- "She ſhould be humble, who would pleaſe; And ſhe muſt ſuffer, who can love."
Etymology
From Middle English humble, from Old French humble, umble, humle, from Latin humilis (“low, slight, hence mean, humble”) (compare Greek χαμηλός (khamēlós, “on the ground, low, trifling”)), from humus (“the earth, ground”), humi (“on the ground”). See homage, and compare chameleon, humiliate. Displaced native Old English ēaþmōd.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: humble, humilis, humblen, *humblen, hummen
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhʌmbəl/
- British English: /ˈhʌmbəl/
Usage
Inflected Forms
humbler (comparative)
more humble (comparative)
humblest (superlative)
most humble (superlative)
humbles (plural)
humbles (present, singular)
humbling (participle, present)
humbled (participle, past)
humbled (past)