Humble
What it means
Accurate about one's importance and willing to give others due credit.
Reach for it when praising confidence without arrogance or self-promotion
The humble director named the stage crew before accepting any praise.
Words to choose between 8
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm |
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| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
Fits when an informal description of someone who avoids display will fit
Careful Low-key may reflect temperament, not humility.
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everyday
Fits when success has not distorted judgment or connection to ordinary life
Careful Grounded can also mean practical or emotionally stable.
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everyday
Fits when someone avoids overstating ability or achievement
Careful Modest can mean shy or limited, while humble concerns status and self-importance.
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warm
Fits when praise is received with courtesy and shared generously
Careful Gracious conduct does not prove an accurate view of one's limitations.
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warm
Fits when ability is present without attention-seeking behavior
Careful It describes manner more than the person's willingness to admit limits.
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professional
Fits when openness to correction is the useful trait
Careful A teachable person may still boast or seek status.
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formal
self-effacing
Fits when the person deliberately draws attention away from themselves
Careful It can imply excessive self-erasure rather than healthy humility.
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literary
without pretension
Fits when style or behavior is free from claims to superior status
Careful This phrase judges presentation and says little about inner self-knowledge.
Opposites 3
- arrogant
- boastful
- conceited
Common phrases 3
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humble person
A humble person can state an achievement clearly and still credit the team.
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remain humble
She worked to remain humble as the small project gained national attention.
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humble enough
He was humble enough to ask the newest engineer to correct his calculation.
Word family 1
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated