humble

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈhʌmbəl/
• (obsolete, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈʌmbəl/

• Audio (GA)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ʌmbəl
• Hyphenation: hum‧ble

From Middle English humble, from Old French humble, umble, humle, from Latin humilis (“low, slight, hence mean, humble”) (compare Greek χαμαλός (khamalós, “on the ground, low, trifling”)), from humus (“the earth, ground”), humi (“on the ground”). See homage, and compare chameleon, humiliate.

The verb is from Middle English humblen (“to humble”).

humble (comparative humbler or more humble, superlative humblest or most humble)

1. Not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming.

   He lives in a humble one-bedroom cottage.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Thy humble nest built on the ground. -Cowley.
2. Having a low opinion of oneself; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; modest.

   Synonyms: unassuming, modest

   • 2012 June 28, Jamie Jackson, “Wimbledon 2012: Lukas Rosol shocked by miracle win over Rafael Nadal”, in The Guardian‎, London:

     Rosol's 65 winners to Nadal's 41 was one of the crucial statistics in the 3hr 18min match that ended in a 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 triumph labelled a "miracle" by Rosol, who was humble enough to offer commiserations to Nadal.

   • 1611, King James Bible James 4:6:

     God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

   • (Can we date this quote?)She should be humble who would please. -Prior.
   • (Can we date this quote?)Without a humble imitation of the divine Author of our . . . religion we can never hope to be a happy nation. -Washington.

• See Thesaurus:humble

• humbleness
• humiliate
• humiliation
• humility

humble (third-person singular simple present humbles, present participle humbling, simple past and past participle humbled)

1. To bring low; to reduce the power, independence, or exaltation of; to lower; to abase; to humiliate.
   • Here, take this purse, thou whom the heaven's plagues have humbled to all strokes. -Shak.
   • The genius which humbled six marshals of France. -Macaulay.
2. (often reflexive) To make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or arrogance of; to reduce the self-sufficiency of; to make meek and submissive.
   • Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you. 1 Pet. Ch 5: v. 6.

• abase, lower, depress, humiliate, mortify, disgrace, degrade

• humblehood
• humbleness
• humbler (agent noun)
• humbly

humble (plural humbles)

1. (Northern England, Scotland, also attributive) Alternative form of hummel.

   humble cattle

humble (third-person singular simple present humbles, present participle humbling, simple past and past participle humbled)

1. (transitive) Alternative form of hummel.

• humble in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• humble in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

From Old French, from Latin humilis (“low, slight, hence mean, humble”) (compare Greek χαμαλός (khamalós, “on the ground, low, trifling”)), from humus (“the earth, ground”), humi (“on the ground”).

• ^{(mute h)} IPA^(key): /œ̃bl/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -œ̃bl
• Homophone: humbles

humble (plural humbles)

1. humble

• àmha
• à mon humble avis
• humblement
• humiliation
• humilier
• humilité

• “humble” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

humble m (oblique and nominative feminine singular humble)

1. Alternative form of umble
   • circa 1170, Wace, Le Roman de Rou:

     Richart fu verz Dex humble, volentiers le servi

     Richard was humble towards God, and served him willingly