View synonyms for

humbling

[ huhm-bling, uhm- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

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

noun

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.

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Other Word Forms

��ܳ�·��Բ�·�� adverb
��-��ܳ�·��Բ� adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of humbling¹

First recorded in 1540–50; humbl(e) ( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses; humbl(e) ( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun sense

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

There are dozens of anecdotes about humbling first jobs and dealing with rejection.

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I found it quite validating and humbling that people shared their stories with me.

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"It's exciting to see the first in situ footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that humans exist," she said.

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"It is also rather humbling to have something like that in the collection."

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When asked to share a stand-out moment he experienced when he first got drafted into the NFL, Barkley recalled what he described as the “most humbling moment of my life.”

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Related Words

humble plant humbly

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