humble
1. cause to be unpretentious (Freq. 1)
- This experience will humble him
• Hypernyms:
change, alter, modify
• Hyponyms:
efface
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s somebody
- Something ----s somebody
2. cause to feel shame;
hurt the pride of (Freq. 1)
- He humiliated his colleague by criticising him in front of the boss
• Syn:
humiliate, mortify, chagrin, abase
• Derivationally related forms:
abasement (for: abase), chagrin (for: chagrin), mortification (for: mortify), humiliation (for: humiliate)
• Hypernyms:
hurt, wound, injure, bruise, offend, spite
• Hyponyms:
crush, smash, demolish, take down, degrade,
disgrace, demean, put down
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s somebody
- Something ----s somebody
- Sam cannot humble Sue
1. low or inferior in station or quality (Freq. 3)
- a humble cottage
- a lowly parish priest
- a modest man of the people
- small beginnings
• Syn:
low, lowly, modest, small
• Similar to:
inferior
• Derivationally related forms:
lowness (for: low), humbleness
2. marked by meekness or modesty;
not arrogant or prideful (Freq. 1)
- a humble apology
- "essentially humble...and self-effacing, he achieved the highest formal honors and distinctions"- B.K.Malinowski
• Ant:
proud
• Similar to:
broken, crushed, humbled, humiliated, low,
meek, mild, modest
• See Also:
modest
• Derivationally related forms:
humbleness, humility
• Attrubites:
humility, humbleness
3. used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)
• Syn:
menial, lowly
• Similar to:
unskilled
4. of low birth or station ('base' is archaic in this sense)
- baseborn wretches with dirty faces
- of humble (or lowly) birth
• Syn:
base, baseborn, lowly
• Similar to:
lowborn
• Derivationally related forms:
humbleness
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