Definitions for humble
ˈhʌm bəl, ˈʌm-hum·ble

Princeton's WordNet(3.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. humble, low, lowly, modest, smalladjective

   low or inferior in station or quality

   "a humble cottage"; "a lowly parish priest"; "a modest man of the people"; "small beginnings"

2. humbleadjective

   marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful

   "a humble apology"; "essentially humble...and self-effacing, he achieved the highest formal honors and distinctions"- B.K.Malinowski

3. humble, menial, lowlyadjective

   used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)

4. base, baseborn, humble, lowlyverb

   of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense)

   "baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or lowly) birth"

5. humbleverb

   cause to be unpretentious

   "This experience will humble him"

6. humiliate, mortify, chagrin, humble, abaseverb

   cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of

   "He humiliated his colleague by criticising him in front of the boss"

Wiktionary(4.25 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. humbleverb

   To bring low; to reduce the power, independence, or exaltation of; to lower; to abase; to humiliate.

2. humbleverb

   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; -- often used reflexively.

   Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you. 1 Pet. Ch 5: v. 6.

3. humbleadjective

   Near the ground; not high or lofty; not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming; as, a humble cottage.

   Thy humble nest built on the ground. -Cowley.

4. humbleadjective

   Thinking lowly of one's self; claiming little for one's self; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; lowly; weak; modest.

5. Etymology: From umble, from humilis (compare Greek χαμαλός), from humus, humi. See homage, and confer chameleon, humiliate.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. HUMBLEadjective

   Etymology: humble, French; humilis, Latin.

   1. Not proud; modest; not arrogant.

   And mighty proud to humble weak does yield. Fairy Qu.

   Now we have shewn our power,
   Let us seem humbler after it is done,
   Than when it was a doing. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

   Thy humble servant vows obedience,
   And faithful service, ’till the point of death. William Shakespeare, H. VI.

   We should be as humble in our imperfections and sins as Christ was in the fulness of the spirit, great wisdom, and perfect life. Jeremy Taylor, Rule of living holy.

   Chuse you for me; for well you understand
   But if an humble husband may request,
   Provide and order all things for the best. Dryden.

   Ten thousand trifles light as these,
   Nor can my rage nor anger move:
   She should be humble, who would please;
   And she must suffer, who can love. Matthew Prior.

   2. Low; not high; not great.

   Th’ example of the heav’nly lark,
   Thy fellow-poet, Cowley, mark!
   Above the skies let thy proud musick sound,
   Thy humble nest build on the ground. Abraham Cowley.

   Denied what ev’ry wretch obtains of fate,
   An humble roof and an obscure retreat. Thomas Yalden.

   Ah! prince, hadst thou but known the joys which dwell
   With humbler fortunes, thou wouldst curse thy royalty. Nicholas Rowe.

   Far humbler titles suit my lost condition. Smith.

2. To Humbleverb

   Etymology: from the adjective.

   1. To make humble; to make submissive; to make to bow down with humility.

   Take this purse, thou whom the heaven’s plagues
   Have humbled to all strokes. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

   The executioner
   Falls not the axe upon the humbled neck,
   But first begs pardon. William Shakespeare, As you like it.

   Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you. 1 Pet. v. 6.

   Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart. 2 Chro.

   Why do I humble thus myself, and suing
   For peace, reap nothing but repulse and hate. John Milton.

   Let the sinner put away the evil of his doings, and humble himself by a speedy and sincere repentance: let him return to God, and then let him be assured that God will return to him. John Rogers, Sermons.

   2. To crush; to break; to subdue; to mortify.

   Yearly injoin’d, some say, to undergo
   This annual humbling certain number’d days,
   To dash their pride, and joy, for man seduc’d. John Milton, P. L.

   We are pleased, by some implicit kind of revenge, to see him taken down and humbled in his reputation, who had so far raised himself above us. Joseph Addison, Spectat.

   The mistress of the world, the seat of empire,
   The nurse of heroes, the delight of gods,
   That humbled the proud tyrants of the earth. Joseph Addison, Cato.

   Men that make a kind of insult upon society, ought to be humbled as disturbers of the publick tranquillity. Freeholder.

   Fortune not much of humbling me can boast;
   Though double tax’d, how little have I lost! Alexander Pope.

   3. To make to condescend.

   This would not be to condescend to their capacities, when he humbles himself to speak to them, but to lose his design in speaking. John Locke.

   4. To bring down from an height.

   In process of time the highest mountains may be humbled into valleys; and again, the lowest valleys exalted into mountains. George Hakewill, on Providence.

Webster Dictionary(2.33 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Humble

   near the ground; not high or lofty; not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming; as, a humble cottage

2. Humble

   thinking lowly of one's self; claiming little for one's self; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; thinking one's self ill-deserving or unworthy, when judged by the demands of God; lowly; waek; modest

3. Humbleadjective

   hornless. See Hummel

4. Humbleverb

   to bring low; to reduce the power, independence, or exaltation of; to lower; to abase; to humilate

5. Humbleverb

   to make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or arrogance of; to reduce the self-sufficiently of; to make meek and submissive; -- often used rexlexively

6. Etymology: [F., fr. L. humilis on the ground, low, fr. humus the earth, ground. See Homage, and cf. Chameleon, Humiliate.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Humble

   Humble is a city in Harris County, Texas, within the Houston–The Woodlands–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,133. The city shares a zip code with the small Houston neighborhood of Bordersville, although people who live in Bordersville still have Humble addresses.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Humble

   hum′bl, or um′bl, adj. low: meek: modest.—v.t. to bring down to the ground: to lower: to abase: to mortify: to degrade.—adj. Hum′ble-mouthed, humble in speech.—n. Hum′bleness—(Spens.) Hum′bless.—adj. Hum′bling, making humble.—n. a humiliation.—advs. Hum′blingly, in a humiliating manner; Hum′bly. [Fr.,—L. humilis, low—humus, the ground.]

2. Humble

   hum&priprime;bl, adj. having no horns.

Editors Contribution(3.50 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. humble

   The awareness, knowing, quality and understanding that we are all equal beings on this planet and naturally see and trust each other as our equal and with respect and dignity.

   We are all naturally humble beings and create and experience humble feelings and thoughts towards each other.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on October 20, 2015  

Matched Categories

1. • Change
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How to pronounce humble?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

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   Mia

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   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

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   Veena

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   Priya

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   Neerja

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   Zira

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   Oliver

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   Wendy

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   Fred

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   Tessa

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How to say humble in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of humble in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of humble in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of humble in a Sentence

1. Rob Carmody:

   John’s a very unique kid who comes from a very tight-knit family that is very humble, very quiet and very faith-based, he makes his decisions based off that. When he made his decision it was tough on him. I talked to his parents and John Castello. I said with basketball, I thought there was a chance a Division II school would take a chance on him, but I was n’t sure.

2. Katy Perry:

   It’s a combination of compassion, humility, sternness and refusal. He is rebel – a rebel for Jesus, he is bringing the Church back to humility and connecting with people. He’s very humble and not frivolous.

3. Maria Mozqueda:

   Victor was a happy person, humble caring, loving, respectful, laid back and friendly. He loved going out doors and being next to nature.

4. John Adams:

   There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.

5. Max Percy:

   The priest persuades a humble people to endure their hard lot, a politician urges them to rebel against it, and a scientist thinks of a method that does away with the hard lot altogether.

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