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.
“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
Fr Gormley, who has been close to those impacted by the tragedy since it occurred, said he was "humbled by the graciousness of Amy's family".
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Dostal agreed with the sentiment and said he is humbled by the collaborative event, which he said is fan emphasized.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2026
“We are humbled by it,” Cook said on CBS’s “60 Minutes” in 2020.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
The Preacher said, “I’m the one who’s humbled, sir. I’ve been to many such carnivals and have never seen anything that matches this one. You must be very proud.”
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
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.
