humbled
Americanadjective
-
made less proud, especially by awe or admiration, or by gratitude for help received, an undeserved advantage or honor, etc..
The land is a perpetual gift; I am humbled like a stranger who is invited to dinner and fed the best food in the house.
-
lowered in condition, power, or dignity; abased.
NATO air strikes and tightening sanctions finally brought the humbled aggressors to the negotiating table.
verb
Other Word Forms
- unhumbled adjective
Etymology
Origin of humbled
Explanation
Someone who's humbled is made to feel less proud — they're chastened or deflated. A humbled sports star might be one who addresses the public after being punished for cheating. Your favorite basketball team is humbled if they lose badly to one of the worst teams in the league, and your schoolmate is humbled after bragging that he had straight As, only to get a miserable report card. In both cases, the humbled person or group has been brought down to earth, or taken down a peg. They're a little bit embarrassed and a little bit subdued. The Latin root is humilis, "lowly," and literally, "on the ground."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I should know: I was humbled on two separate occasions by his sharp analysis.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
“The loyalty, the steadfast spirit, the character that they’ve chosen day in and day out. ... I am just so humbled that they’ve chosen to commit to our mission.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
But the past century has shown that even the world’s largest and most modern militaries can be humbled when attacking tenacious adversaries willing to endure more pain to defend their territory despite overwhelming odds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026
The Englishman, who has signed a contract until 2032, said in a club statement that he was "extremely humbled and honoured to be appointed".
From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026
As for Lazlo, he was awed and humbled.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
