to humble

Examples

• All

• "If you have to humble yourself," I said, "then just do it."

  Academic text (2017)

• This was just like a freak situation that was meant to humble me, to teach me a lesson.

  GQ

• You need to take it, humble yourself and take it.

  I've Had It

• Like I could never humble myself and serve people.

  Rich Roll

• And maybe that was God being like, humble yourself.

• I, I appreciate that, but I had to humble myself to be the correct man.

  George Janko

• Well, I told him to go ahead and humble himself so as not to get into any trouble!

  Till (2022)

• It was like, man, humble yourself, relax.

• We learned to humble ourselves, leave our families, give up property and pleasures, and follow Christ.

  Academic text (2008)

• He had to humble himself and apologize for his mistakes to restore the team's trust.

Synonyms

E

to embarrass

vsto humble

642 2.1

Make someone feel awkward or ashamed in front of others

is stronger, aiming to lower dignity or reduce pride directly

H

to humiliate

vsto humble

• Offensive

414 6.1

Make someone feel very ashamed and foolish, often in front of others

is similar but can occur privately as well as publicly

D

to disgrace

vsto humble

62 4.5

To make someone lose respect or honor by doing something shameful

is similar but emphasizes lowering personal pride rather than public shame

D

to demean

vsto humble

53 6.8

To make someone feel less respected or important

is the broader act of making someone feel less proud

B

to belittle

vsto humble

45 5.0

To make someone or something seem not important

focuses specifically on lowering a person's pride or dignity

M

to mortify

vsto humble

22 6.9

To make someone feel very embarrassed or ashamed

tends to be milder, aiming simply to reduce pride

S

to shame

vsto humble

6 6.7

To do much better than someone so they seem less good

achieves lowering of dignity more directly by causing loss of pride

C

to cut down to size

vsto humble

• Informal

3 6.7

To make someone less proud by showing they are not as good as they think

is the wider act of lowering dignity or pride, not just arrogance

K

to knock down a peg

vsto humble

• Informal

3 7.6

Make someone feel less proud by criticizing or embarrassing them

is the general lowering of dignity rather than a phrase for it

A

to abase

vsto humble

• Formal

1 8.6

To make someone feel ashamed or lose respect for themselves

focuses on lowering dignity or pride rather than legal status

D

to derogate

vsto humble

1 8.4

Say or do things that make someone seem less respected

is the concrete act of lowering someone's dignity or pride

U

to umble

vsto humble

• Archaic

9.9

To make someone feel less important or lower in social position

is the general action of lowering dignity or pride

H

to hurt pride

vsto humble

5.5

To make someone feel embarrassed and less confident

targets the act of making someone feel less important or proud

Antonyms

P

to promote

182 2.9

Give someone a higher job or rank

E

to elevate

• Formal

52 4.4

To give someone a higher job or rank

Idioms

E

to eat humble pie

• Informal

1 7.9

To admit you are wrong and feel embarrassed

Phrasal Verbs

S

to stay humble

1 3.6

Keep being modest and not become proud when you do well

Compounds

H

humble plant

• UK

9.9

A tropical plant with grey-green leaves that fold when touched and stems with curved thorns

How Humiliated

to humiliate

• Offensive

414 6.1

to abase

• Formal

1 8.6

to humble

58 5.3

to embarrass

642 2.1

to slight

• Offensive

12 6.1

Surface Forms

Etymology