humble

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ˈhʌmbəl/ (Received Pronunciation or Southern US, archaic) IPA(key): /ˈʌmbəl/ Rhymes: -ʌmbəl Hyphenation: hum‧ble === Etymology 1 === From Middle English humble, from Old French humble, umble, humle, from Latin humilis (“low, slight, hence mean, humble”) (compare Greek χαμηλός (khamēlós, “on the ground, low, trifling”)), from humus (“the earth, ground”), humi (“on the ground”). See homage, and compare chameleon, humiliate. Displaced native Old English ēaþmōd. ==== Adjective ==== humble (comparative humbler or more humble, superlative humblest or most humble) Not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming. 17th century, Abraham Cowley, The Shortness of Life and Uncertainty of Riches The wise example of the heavenly lark.Thy fellow poet, Cowley, mark,Above the clouds let thy proud music sound,Thy humble nest build on the ground. Having a low opinion of oneself; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; modest. Synonyms: unassuming, modest ===== Synonyms ===== See Thesaurus:humble ===== Antonyms ===== ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== humble (plural humbles) (Baltimore, slang) An arrest based on weak evidence intended to demean or punish the subject. === Etymology 2 === From Middle English humblen (“to humble”), from the adjective above. ==== Verb ==== humble (third-person singular simple present humbles, present participle humbling, simple past and past participle humbled) (ambitransitive) To defeat or reduce the power, independence, or pride of. (transitive, often reflexive) To make humble or lowly; to make less proud or arrogant; to make meek and submissive. ===== Synonyms ===== abase, lower, depress, humiliate, mortify, disgrace, degrade ===== Derived terms ===== humblehood humbleness humbler (agent noun) humbly ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 3 === From Middle English *humblen, *humbelen (suggested by humblynge (“a humming, a faint rumbling”)), frequentative of Middle English hummen (“to hum”), equivalent to hum +‎ -le. ==== Verb ==== humble (third-person singular simple present humbles, present participle humbling, simple past and past participle humbled) (intransitive, chiefly obsolete) To hum. ===== Related terms ===== humblebee === Etymology 4 === ==== Noun ==== humble (plural humbles) (Northern England, Scotland, also attributive) Alternative form of hummel. ==== Verb ==== humble (third-person singular simple present humbles, present participle humbling, simple past and past participle humbled) (transitive) Alternative form of hummel. === References === === Further reading === William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “humble”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “humble”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. == French == === Etymology === From Old French, from Latin humilis (“low, slight, hence mean, humble”) (compare Greek χαμαλός (khamalós, “on the ground, low, trifling”)), from humus (“the earth, ground”), humi (“on the ground”). === Pronunciation === (mute h) IPA(key): /œ̃bl/ Rhymes: -œ̃bl Homophone: humbles === Adjective === humble (plural humbles) humble ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “humble”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Old French == === Adjective === humble m (oblique and nominative feminine singular humble) alternative form of umble ==== Declension ====