humble

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

adj. lowly, unassuming, modest (see humility); poor, obscure, paltry, mean. —v. t. abase, shame, humiliate. See modesty, obscurity, piety.

II

(Roget's IV) modif.

1. [Meek]

Syn. lowly, submissive, gentle, quiet, unassuming, diffident, simple, retiring, bashful, shy, timid, reserved, docile, deferential, backward, self-conscious, soft-spoken, coy, demure, blushing, sheepish, standoffish, mild, timorous, withdrawn, unpretentious, unobtrusive, hesitant, apprehensive, fearful, tentative, self-belittling, poor in spirit, tractable, sedate, unpretending, supplicatory, small, biddable, unpresuming, self-effacing, little, slavish, broken, ductile, obsequious, reverential, manageable, subservient, ordinary, unambitious, commonplace, free from pride, peaceful, placid, without arrogance, peaceable, obedient, passive, broken in spirit, tame, clement, restrained, enduring, stoic, yielding, stoical, acquiescent, unostentatious, unimportant, of little importance, of small importance, gentle as a lamb, meek-spirited, meek-hearted, low, unresisting, resigned, subdued, tolerant, content, compliant, underdogmatic*, mealy-mouthed*, Micawberish*, eating humble pie*; see also modest 2 .

Ant. proud*, haughty, conceited.

2. [Lowly]

Syn. unpretentious, unassuming, modest, seemly, becoming, homespun, natural, plebeian, low, cringing, out-of-the-way, proletarian, servile, undistinguished, pitiful, sordid, shabby, underprivileged, meager, beggarly, log-cabin, commonplace, menial, unimportant, insignificant, small, poor, untouched, unvarnished, unaffected, rough, hard, severe, unpretending, earthborn, base, meek, little, of low birth, obscure, inferior, baseborn, mean, inglorious, low-ranking, plain, common, homely, ignoble, low in rank, of low rank, simple, lowbred, uncouth, ignominious, of mean parentage, measly, contemptible, miserable, scrubby, ordinary, inferior, puny, humdrum, poorish, trivial, ill-bred, petty, underbred, paltry, unequal, vulgar, unrefined, wretched, unfit.

Ant. upper-class, noble*, privileged.

v.

Syn. shame, mortify, chasten, demean (oneself), demote, lower, crush, abash, hide one's face, bring low, put to shame, silence, reduce, humiliate, degrade, overcome, strike dumb, take down, put down, pull down, bring down, override, snub, confuse, discredit, deflate, upset, abase, make ashamed, put out of countenance, confound, deny, discomfit, take down a peg*, pull one off one's high horse*, put down*, squelch*, squash*, hide one's light under a bushel*, kiss the rod*; see also disgrace , embarrass 1 .

Ant. exalt, praise*, glorify.

to humble is to lower the pride or increase the humility of oneself or another, and, unqualified, suggests that such lowering is deserved [humbled by the frightening experience ] ; to humiliate is to humble or shame another painfully and in public [humiliated by their laughter ] ; degrade literally means to lower in grade or rank, but it commonly implies a lowering or corrupting of moral character and self-respect; abase suggests a loss, often merely temporary and self-imposed, of dignity and respect [ he abased himself before his employer ] ; debase implies a decline in value, quality, or character [ a debased mind ]

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

a.

1. modest self-effacing, unassuming, unpretentious, reserved, deferential, meek, demure, self-conscious, subservient, diffident, obsequious, lowly.

2. lowly shabby, simple, plain, ordinary, poor, undistinguished, rough, plebian, humdrum, unrefined, inconsequential.

ANT.: 1. arrogant, pretentious, haughty, proud, conceited. 2. rich, superior, ostentatious, illustrious, distinguished

II

v.

degrade, deflate, ' take the wind out of one's sails, 'bring down a peg, shame, humiliate, demean, disgrace, ' make one feel small, 'make one eat crow, 'make one eat humble pie.

ANT.: exalt, *put on a pedestal, inflate, puff up

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I adjective 1. Having or expressing feelings of humility: lowly, meek, modest. See ATTITUDE, BIG, SELF-LOVE. 2. Lacking high station or birth: baseborn, common, declasse, declassed, ignoble, lowly, mean2, plebeian, unwashed, vulgar. Archaic: base2. See OVER. 3. Of little distinction: lowly, mean2, simple. See PLAIN. II verb To deprive of esteem, self-worth, or effectiveness: abase, degrade, demean2, humiliate, mortify. Idioms: bring low, take down a peg. See RESPECT, WIN.